Archive Gallery: Gandhi, 25 years on
Images of iconic scenes from the production of Gandhi to celebrate 25 years since its release.
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On location
Producer/Director Richard Attenborough talks to actor Ben Kingsley on location in India (All onset and film images copyright Frank Connor)
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Relaxing on set
Producer/Director Richard Attenborough relaxes on set with actor Ben Kingsley (All onset and film images copyright Frank Connor).
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An Indian greeting
Producer/Director Richard Attenborough, (left) performs a respectful ‘pranam’, the Indian equivalent of a handshake, for villagers to emulate as Ben Kingsley, who plays the Mahatma, strides past.
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John Mills as Lord Chelmsford
John Mills make a guest star appearance in Richard Attenborough's film Gandhi. He plays Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy to India during the period following the First World War when, in reaction to the India Act of 1919, Gandhi led his countrymen in an act of total non cooperation, paralysing the sub-continent.
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The first march
The young Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) leads his first protest march of striking Indian miners in South Africa.
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An emotional homecoming
Relcutantly, a garlanded Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) stands on a box provided by those who have organised his welcome home from South Africa. But any hopes of a stirring speech are dashed when he announces simply that he is glad to be back and, overcome with emotion, joins the palms of his hands to form the traditional salutation, a pranam.
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The long walk
At the age of 61, setting a break-neck pace, Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) leads thousands of followers 240 miles from his Sabarmarti Ashram to the sea at Dandi. There, on the anniversary of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre, he intends ritually to break the law by gathering untaxed salt.
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Through the villages
As Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), his swelling band of followers, Walker (Martin Sheen) and a host of other international newsmen stride through village after village on their way to Dandi, vast crowds gather to cheer and strew the Mahatma’s path with flower petals.
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At Dandi Beach
Mahatma Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), aged 61, defies the might of the entire British Empire by gathering, in the palm of his hand, a few grains of salt. The tax which the British impose on sales of this natural commodity, so essential to life in the Indian climate, is not the only moral point at issue. By flouting the law at Dandi Beach in the most peaceful way possible, and encouraging millions of his fellow countrymen to do the same, Gandhi demonstrates the inability of a vastly outnumbered alien power to control the Indian masses.
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An epic role
Ben Kingsley as Gandhi flanked by Rohini Hattangadi as Mrs. Kasturba M. Gandhi and Geraldine James as Meerabahen. Hattangadi won a Supporting Actress BAFTA for her performance.
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London to Bombay
Mahatma Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) waves farewell as the steamship taking him to London gets underway in Bombay (© Frank Connor)
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The funeral scene
Producer/director Richard Attenborough prepares to film one of the film's key scenes in New Delhi. In order to remain in command of a crowd estimated to number 400,000 he has donned a British Army uniform and will walk behind a re-creation of the Mahatma’s funeral cortege as it progresses along Rajpath, the city's broad ceremonial avenue. Setting up one of the most populated scenes in cinematic history is taking longer than expected and Attenborough, in overall charge of the $22 million production, anxiously checks the time.
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Scooping the top awards
Richard Attenborough accepts a BAFTA for Best Director at the British Academy Film Awards in 1983 for Gandhi. The film also won BAFTAs for Outstanding Newcomer, Actor, Supporting Actress and Best Film (Copyright BAFTA Publishing).
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Best Supporting Actress
Rohini Hattangadi receives her BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs Gandhi at the British Academy Film Awards in 1983 (Copyright BAFTA Publishing).
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Best Actor
Actor Ian Richardson presents Ben Kingsley with his BAFTA for Best Actor for Gandhi at the British Academy Film Awards in 1983 (Copyright BAFTA Publishing).
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Ben Kingsley wins again
Ben Kingsley accepts his Outstanding Newcomer to Leading Film Roles BAFTA at the British Academy Film Awards in 1983 for his performance as the 'Mahatma' or 'Great Soul' (Copyright BAFTA Publishing).
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