Comments on: Happy Birthday Gandhi!

By: Mommy Niri

Mommy Niri — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:34:00 +0000

Very interesting to learn. My point still stands as in how the movie was cast and even the order of listing of the cast.

Understanding and standing up for a race is no way meant to divide up people but know who we are. Having had my great grandparents born in South Africa I learnt the hard way how my grandparents and parents choice to mainstream lost me my culture.

I still re-iterate no one else would accept someone not representative of their race playing a pivotal figure.

Thanks for reading and also for very interesting information too.

By: Ragini

Ragini — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Ben Kingsley is Indian in a twisty sort of way – Kingsley was born Krishna Bhanji in Snainton, near Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, the son of Anna Lyna Mary (née Goodman), an actress and model, and Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, a medical doctor. Kingsley’s father, an Ismaili Muslim, was born in Kenya of Indian Khoja Gujarati descent, as Kingsley’s paternal grandfather was a spice trader who had moved from India to Zanzibar, where Kingsley’s father lived until moving to England at the age of fourteen.

It is sad that he chose to change his name because he feared that a foreign name would limit his acting career. And it is ironic that a lot of people don’t know that he is half Indian.

That is my point – I don’t want my children to be evaluated based on race, nationality and sex. period. That thinking is flawed and does not serve any one any good.

By: Mommy Niri

Mommy Niri — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:38:00 +0000

Agreed that race aside whoever can do the job better should, but this is Gandhi. It is not a story of Amitabh’s life. He spent his life showing pride in everything authentically Indian, including his clothing. I somehow find it too ironic that the person acting as him was not even an Indian (he did not have to come Indian, but he could at least be authentically Indian).

Richard Attenborough is very talented and could have pulled wonders with an Indian actor too. It was very good cinema, no one can deny that but some credit has to go with big budgets too. There is no way a movie of that price tag could have been done with that ease with an Indian director. Bigger pockets certainly did help too.

By: Ragini

Ragini — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:18:00 +0000

I think the film got the Oscars because of it was well done cinema. I don't I implied that we need "western approval". You have to consider that this movie was done in the 80s and where Bollywood as an industry was at that point of time. Yes, Nelson Mandela will never be played by a white man, but they don't need to find a black actor in Africa per say.

Honestly, race should not play a part in anything. If someone has the ability to pull something off - more power to them.

BTW, Bollywood has taken several attempts at making Gandhi with Indian actors - some of them are actually half decent but they have not come close to delivering anything stellar like what Attenborough deliver 20+ years ago.

I need to run for Lunch now. Speak to you later.

By: Mommy Niri

Mommy Niri — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:01:00 +0000

True, we did get Oscars more due to the high profile western actors. Outside of Bollywood there are loads of talented actors (and inside too). I think more than publicity to me is the essence of western approval that I don't think is needed.

Ben Kingsley did a fine job, no question about that, but honestly I still feel strongly that there are many good actors that are Indians that could do it too. I persist that no matter how great the actor no one would accept a white person playing Mandela.

Somehow I doubt that would ever be accepted!