Documentary On Gandhiji The Hindu 20mar07

Date:20/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/br/2007/03/20/stories/2007032000201500.htm Book Review

Documentary on Gandhiji LA. SU. RENGARAJAN IN THE TRACKS OF THE MAHATMA — The Making of a Documentary: A. K. Chettiar; Edited and introduced by A.R. Venkatachalapathy; translated from the Tamil by S. Thillainayagam; Orient Longman Pvt. Ltd., 160, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Rs. 375. Late in 1937, 26-year-old A.K. Chettiar (1911-83) a committed Gandhian and a well-know travelogue writer of yesteryears hailing from a Tamil mercantile community, dreamt of making a full-length documentary on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. His dream came true after immense perseverance, collecting film footage on Gandhiji from different sources all over the world. In the process, he gathered 50,000 footage of film shot by a hundred cameramen during the previous three decades, edited them into a 12,000-foot documentary adding new film footage of Gandhiji's later life. The Tamil version of the documentary was released in select centers in the then Madras Province in August 1940. It was screened on the evening of 14th August 1947 in New Delhi on the eve of India's Independence that midnight. He reedited the film with English commentary in Hollywood and screened it in Washington on 10th February 1953 with U.S. President Eisenhower as the chief guest. Translation This book is a translation of the Tamil original edited by A.R. Venkatachalapathy and published by Kaalachuvadu Pathippagam. Presented in the form of short episodes and vignettes, the book is a brisk and breezy narration of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the author in making the documentary. Anecdotes include how he traced the footage on Tilak's funeral (1920) filmed by Dadasaheb Phalke, acclaimed as the `father' of Indian cinema, Barrister Gandhi in South Africa during Gokhale's 1912 visit preserved by H.S.L. Polak, his experiences with various film companies in Britain, the U.S. and in Italy and much of the continent as he went scouting for documentary footage. The reader will come across amusing incidents. The film in Tamil had to be censored in Chennai before release for public viewing in August 1940. The City Police Commissioner, an Englishman, was the chairman of the censor board with 20 nominated members most of them belonging to the Justice Party and the Muslim League. Only very few were

nationalists. Patriot he was, the officer selected K.Srinivasan, then Editor of The Hindu, and Dr.V. Krishna Rao. The film was passed in toto! Once so passed, the British Government would not object to the decision of the censor board; but it did not forget the `treason' of the two members either. Their term on the board was not extended! Roaring success The film, screened for two weeks in Roxy theatre in Chennai, was a roaring success. Afterwards, fearing confiscation by the British due to the turbulent political situation, the film rolls went into hiding for the next seven years, and resurfaced to be screened jubilantly in New Delhi on the eve of India's Independence. Rajendra Prasad, then President of the Constituent Assembly, presided over the screening. Back in Madras by train, Chettiar engaged a porter at the Central Station to carry the film boxes to the taxi stand. Coming to know that the heavy luggage contained film reels on Mahatma Gandhi, the Madras porter, who would proverbially never be satisfied with whatever amount one might pay, flatly refused to accept his legitimate coolie despite Chettiar's insistence. To him, the privilege of carrying on his head film reels on Mahatma Gandhi was by itself the greatest reward! Replete with such racy episodes, the book also exemplifies a certain Gandhian spirit. Judiciously edited by social historian A.R. Venkatachalapathy and adeptly translated by S. Thillainayagam recapturing the tone and tenor of the original, the book is highly readable. © Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu