Mahatma Gandhi : 20th Century Prophet

A.K. Chettiar’s documentary film on Gandhi is unique in many ways. It is credited to be the first documentary on Mahatma Gandhi. Shri Chettiar, travelogue writer, journalist and documentary film maker from Tamil Nadu, started working on this project in 1937. With the 50,000 feet film he collected he started editing in the year 1940. The first version was released on 23 August 1940. The documentary was dubbed into Hindi and re-released on the eve of Indian independence on 15th August 1947 under the Presidentship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad.  Shri A.K. Chettiar re-edited the film in Hollywood with a commentary in English and screened it in the U.S. in 1953 

 

The film was digitised recently

 

Dr. Aparna Basu, well known historian  and Chairperson, National Gandhi Museum will introduce the film