The only two films Mahatma Gandhi reportedly ever watched

Hyderabad: Cinema has returned to Mahatma Gandhi’s life and ideas time and again. But did the man who inspired so many filmmakers enjoy watching movies himself? With Gandhi Jayanti bringing his legacy into focus, his brief encounter with the silver screen makes for an unusual story.

Gandhi had little interest in cinema and was openly critical of the medium. Yet, he is widely documented as having watched just two films in his lifetime, as per historical data available online. Surprisingly, his first was a Hollywood production, followed by a Hindi mythological film. Both screenings took place in 1944.

The Hollywood film that came first

The first was reportedly Mission to Moscow, a 1943 film directed by Michael Curtiz. Based on former American ambassador Joseph E. Davies’ memoir, it starred Walter Huston and Ann Harding and explored Davies’ experiences in the Soviet Union.

As per various reports, Gandhi watched the film on May 21, 1944, after his associate Mirabehn persuaded him to give it a chance. However, the screening did little to change his opinion of cinema. Accounts describe his displeasure with a dance sequence featuring women in revealing costumes.

The only Indian film Gandhi watched

Less than two weeks later, on June 2, Gandhi watched Vijay Bhatt’s Ram Rajya at a special screening in Juhu, Bombay, now Mumbai.

Released in 1943, the mythological film featured Prem Adib as Lord Ram and Shobhna Samarth as Sita. It went on to hold a unique place in Indian cinema history as the only Indian feature film Gandhi is known to have watched. While people often describe it as the only film he ever saw, the earlier Mission to Moscow

Stories about Gandhi’s reaction to Ram Rajya differ. One popular version suggests he stayed longer than planned because the film interested him. However, an account citing his host Shanti Kumar Morarjee’s memoirs says he disliked its noise and commotion. Claims that he loved the film or watched it in full should therefore be treated cautiously.

A Hollywood political drama and a Hindi mythological film make an unlikely double bill. For Gandhi, they marked two rare encounters with a medium that would later return to his own story for generations.