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The Making of the Mahatma ()


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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was invited to South Africa in 1893 to settle a case for a wealthy Indian settled there. He expected to return in a few months but instead got involved in the freedom movement and eventually stayed for 21 years.

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Cast

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...
Barrister Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
...
Kasturba Gandhi
Keith Stevenson ...
Rustomjee
Paul Slabolepszy ...
Jan Smuts
...
Cachalia (as Himal Devnarain)
Strini Pillai ...
Dada Abdullah
Charles Pillai ...
Thambi Naidoo
Siraj Khan ...
Adult Harilal
Prean Naidoo ...
Vincent Lawrence
John Whiteley ...
Harry Escombe
Dale Cutts ...
Reverend Baker
Amitha Anand ...
Jadubansi
Shafa'ath-Ahmad Khan ...
Seth Tyeb (as Shafa'ath Kahn)
Kaycey Padayachee ...
Mir Alam (as Kacey Padayachee)
Douglas Bristow ...
Mr. Chamney
David Clatworthy ...
Hermann Kallenbach
Zane Hannan ...
Harry Sparks
Suria Govender ...
Mrs. Thambi Nadoo
Bradley Mart ...
Henry Polak
Ronny Belcher ...
Albert West
Mac Mathunjwa ...
Rev. John Dube
...
Magistrate Jordan
Peter Ucko ...
Volksrust Magistrate
Dick Reineke ...
Johannesburg Prosecutor
Len Sparrowhawk ...
Capt. Milne
Paul Ditchfield ...
Fowle
Peter J. Elliott ...
Pretoria Jail Superintendent (as Peter Elliot)
Lieb Bester ...
Boer Coach Leader
James Whyle ...
Mine chairman
Ken Marshall ...
Prison doctor
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marina Coetzee
Nick Collis
Andrew Donald
Jurgen Hellberg ...
(as Jurgen Helberg)
...
Magistrate
Kobus Kleynhans
...
Warder (as Sean Michael)
Ernest Ndlovu ...
Prison trustee
Matthew Oats ...
(as Matthew Oates)
Alistair Prodgers
Robin Singh
Johan Smit ...
Constable
Peter Stoneley ...
(as Peter Stonely)
Sparky van Dyk
Jennifer Wellsted ...
(as Jennifer Welsted)
Iain Winter-Smith

Directed by

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Shyam Benegal

Written by

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Fatima Meer ... (screenplay based on her book "Apprenticeship of a Mahatma") &
Shyam Benegal ... (in collaboration with) &
Shama Zaidi ... (in collaboration with)

Music by

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Vanraj Bhatia

Cinematography by

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Ashok Mehta ... director of photography

Editing by

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Avril Beukes

Editorial Department

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Leon Retief ... first assistant editor

Casting By

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Gianna Pisanello

Production Design by

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Mark Wilby

Art Direction by

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David Barkham ... contributing art director

Set Decoration by

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Lisa Hart

Costume Design by

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Pia Benegal
Diana Cilliers ... (as Dianna Cilliers)

Makeup Department

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Vikram Gaikwad ... makeup artist: Rajit Kapur
Fiona Musselwhite ... assistant makeup artist
Natasha Rees-Davies ... assistant makeup artist (as Natasha Henry)
Anni Taylor ... chief makeup artist

Production Management

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Dale Edwards ... unit manager
Gail Honiball ... production manager
Lynne Motijoane ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Simon Damast ... second assistant director
Bashini Naidoo ... fourth assistant director
Guy Nockels ... first assistant director
Ronny Williams ... third assistant director (as Ronnie Williams)

Art Department

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Christopher Bass ... property master
Johnny Breedt ... scenic dresser
Vivienne Gray ... assistant set dresser / buyer
Belinda Johnson ... art department coordinator
Solly Legobate ... assistant scenic dresser
Marelize Pretorius ... set dresser / standby props
Lauren Savage ... assistant set dresser / buyer

Sound Department

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Gavin Athienides ... adr recordist
Ashwyn Balsaver ... sound engineer: India
Avril Beukes ... sound editor
Richard Frost ... adr recordist / sound transfers
Karen Gravett ... foley recordist
Alan Hunter ... foley artist
Georgina Kriel ... foley artist
Arthur Lacueva ... adr recordist (as Artur Lacueva)
Colin McFarlane ... sound engineer
Ivan Milborrow ... boom swinger
William Mould ... boom swinger
Brian Nicholas ... foley artist
Mark Phillips ... final mix
Ilse Spies ... sound editor
Ilse Van Hemert ... sound editor (as Ilse van Hemert)
Derek Ward ... sound editor

Special Effects by

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Jannie Wienand ... special effects coordinator

Stunts

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Isaac Mavimbela ... stunt coordinator (as Isaac Mavimela)
Darryl Werner ... stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department

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Umberto Adaggi ... still photographer
Val Adamson ... still photographer
Robyn Aronstam ... focus puller
Jacques Barnard ... camera operator: second unit
Dominic Booth ... grip assistant
François Buys ... best boy
Rhodi-Anne Buys ... second assistant camera
Derry Gallagher ... gaffer
Robert Gilman ... best boy
Deon Kriel ... camera operator: second unit
Nathan Makobane ... spark (as Nathan Mokobane)
Ben Phiri ... generator operator
Richard Rolf ... steadicam operator
Tobie Swanepoel ... camera operator: second unit
Beatle van Graan ... trainee loader (as Beetle Van Graan)
Thomas Wahl ... key grip
Narayan Yadav ... focus puller: India

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Leigh Bishop ... wardrobe mistress
Carolyn Marston ... wardrobe standby (as Caroline Marston)

Location Management

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Dale Edwards ... location manager

Script and Continuity Department

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Robyn Aronstam ... continuity

Transportation Department

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Dale Edwards ... transportation coordinator
Sheldon Lock ... driver: Mr. Kapur

Additional Crew

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Desiree Bertasso ... production coordinator
Ronnie Govender ... production auditor
Stella Horgan ... production coordinator
Sara Jones ... assistant production accountant
Gavin Mey ... animal wrangler
Sudhir Pragjee ... financial controller
Leila Reinhard ... production secretary
Dezi Rorich ... unit publicist
Anna Walton ... production coordinator

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

One of two feuding Mohammedan cousins of Indian origin living in Britain seek the assistance of an Indian Barrister to travel to Britain and settle their matter in a court of law. The Barrister travels to Britain, and finds that all Asians are treated as coolies and their status is worse than of servants. Despite being dressed in a suit and a tie, he is thrown out of a first-class train compartment; is asked to remove his cap in a court of law; asked to ride with the driver of the coach; and even shoved out on the footpath for daring to walk close to a bureaucrat's premises; beaten, and abused with no recourse to any justice. His attempts to deal with these issues is met with strong governmental and bureaucratic disapproval and opposition. Notwithstanding this, he settles the dispute between the two cousins out of court and sets about trying to organize the local Asians to assert their rights, and even represents some of them in court. Then he journeys to Durban, South Africa, where yet another struggle is taking place against the native Africans and the emigrant Asian community. This is where this young man summons his wife and three children and decides to garner support of the oppressed community to improve the lot of all people, and where he will find that though the laws are on his side, the people who interpret them, and legislators are opposed to any kind of fair or equal treatment that this young Barrister was requesting. The young Barrister will then re-locate to India to continue his struggle against the British--and he will soon be known and acknowledged by the world as Mahatma Gandhi. Written by rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Plot Keywords
Taglines Resistance without violence. Confrontation without enemies. Victory without losers. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide Add content advisory for parents »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Gandhi Se Mahatma Tak (India, Hindi title)
  • Apprenticeship of a Mahatma
  • Mahatman synty (Finland)
  • Gandhi - Egy vezér születése (Hungary)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 144 min
Country
Language
Color
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia Naseeruddin Shah was to do the film but dropped out due to his price. See more »

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