Article Updated 03 October, 2005 12:01:18 PM IST   Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara By Prema K. ©2005 Bollyvista.com   'Saaransh' was a landmark in Anupam Kher's career. Everybody, including him, regarded that as the role of a lifetime. Anupam Kher's character and performance in 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara' disproves the theory that an actor can never get another role that matches up to the best of his career. The film is superb; very well-made. But let's quickly add that this is no entertainer. Actor-producer Anupam Kher and director Jahnu Barua's 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara' makes you cry and think a lot, and also makes you laugh in a couple of scenes. Professor Uttam Chaudhary (Anupam Kher) is a retired Hindi professor who lives with his daughter Trusha (Urmila Matondkar) and son Addy (Addy) in Mumbai. His other son Ronu (Rajit Kapur) lives in the U.S. Uttam is suffering from brief periods of forgetfulness. His condition is worsening slowly. He is diagnosed as suffering from a brain disorder, Dementia. He is also suffering from guilt of having killed Gandhiji. This guilt resurfaces as his memory is fading. Contrary to what the name suggests, 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara' is not based on Gandhiji's life or his principles. It delves into the psyche of an aging man who believes that he had shot Gandhiji by mistake when he was a kid. It's a simple story of a man's illness and his daughter's love for him. She is his lifeline and is determined to find a cure for his illness and succeeds in the end. This cure comes in the form of a young psychiatrist who unveils his demented world and carries him backwards on a journey to finally confront his guilt. This is the courtroom episode which is the grand finale of the film. We have to add here that it is very theatrical. However, the subject of the film is a territory never before explored in Bollywood. The first hour of the film is superb with some great sequences. The breakfast sequence between Uttam, Trusha, and Addy is good. The scene in which Trusha breaks down after her confrontation with her family (to support her father and soon after she discovers that her fiancé has married someone else) is superb. The flashback scenes that explain the reason for Uttam's guilt over having killed Gandhiji are remarkable. Jahnu Barua is highly competent as a director. The background music is very soothing, so is the camerawork. The film belongs to Anupam Kher completely. Urmila Matondkar is superb as the caring daughter. Parvin Dabas as the young psychiatrist and Vishwaas Pandya as Trusha's fiancé are good. Waheeda Rehman and Boman Irani are wasted. Addy is a perfect natural. 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara' is a sensitive film for sensitive people. So that way it has limited audience. Whatever the commercial prospects of the film, it's certainly worth a watch. *** (Three stars) *poor; **average; ***good; ****very good; *****excellent   close   Print this Article http://www.bollyvista.com   http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/29/5635