Harilal Gandhi
Encyclopedia
Harilal Mohandas Gandhi (Devanagari: हरीलाल गांधी), (1888 – 18 June 1948) was the first son of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
. Eventually rebelling against his father's decision, in 1911 Harilal renounced all family ties.
He converted to Islam
but later reverted back to Hinduism
. That did not bother his father, who believed that all religions were to be respected. His mother felt he should not be publicly displaying this back-and-forth type of behavior.
Harilal was married to Gulab Gandhi. They had five children, two of whom died at an early age. Nilam Parikh, the daughter of Ramibehn, who was the eldest of Harilal's children has written a biography on him, titled Gandhiji's Lost Jewel: Harilal Gandhi.
He appeared at his father's funeral in such derelict condition that few recognized him. He died from liver disease
on 18 June 1948 in a municipal hospital in Bombay, Union of India.
. The film adaptation was released on 3 August 2007 and directed by Feroz Abbas Khan
and produced by Anil Kapoor
. It centres on their stormy relationship. Harilal is portrayed by Akshaye Khanna
. Khan's play, Mahatma vs. Gandhi, while different from this film, had a similar theme. There is also a Marathi
play named Gandhi virudh Gandhi, in which Atul Kulkarni
features.
Early life
Harilal wanted to go to England for higher studies and hoped to become a barrister as his father had once been. His father firmly opposed this, believing that a Western-style education would not be helpful in the struggle against British rule over IndiaBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. Eventually rebelling against his father's decision, in 1911 Harilal renounced all family ties.
He converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
but later reverted back to Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. That did not bother his father, who believed that all religions were to be respected. His mother felt he should not be publicly displaying this back-and-forth type of behavior.
Harilal was married to Gulab Gandhi. They had five children, two of whom died at an early age. Nilam Parikh, the daughter of Ramibehn, who was the eldest of Harilal's children has written a biography on him, titled Gandhiji's Lost Jewel: Harilal Gandhi.
He appeared at his father's funeral in such derelict condition that few recognized him. He died from liver disease
Liver disease
Liver disease is a broad term describing any single number of diseases affecting the liver.-Diseases:* Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by various viruses but also by some poisons , autoimmunity or hereditary conditions...
on 18 June 1948 in a municipal hospital in Bombay, Union of India.
Gandhi, My Father
The troubled relationship between Harilal and his father is the subject of the film and play Gandhi, My FatherGandhi, My Father
Gandhi, My Father is a 2007 Indian film by Feroz Abbas Khan . It was produced by Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, and released on 3 August 2007....
. The film adaptation was released on 3 August 2007 and directed by Feroz Abbas Khan
Feroz Abbas Khan
Feroz Abbas Khan is an Indian theatre and film director, playwright and screenwriter, who is most known for directing plays like Saalgirah, Tumhari Amrita , Salesman Ramlal and Gandhi Viruddh Gandhi.-Career:...
and produced by Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor is an Indian actor and producer who mainly appears in Bollywood films. He won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Yash Chopra's film Mashaal ....
. It centres on their stormy relationship. Harilal is portrayed by Akshaye Khanna
Akshaye Khanna
Akshaye Khanna is a critically acclaimed Indian film actor who works in Hindi cinema. Known for his impeccable acting talent and flawless diction, Khanna has worked with the best names in Indian cinema.- Background :...
. Khan's play, Mahatma vs. Gandhi, while different from this film, had a similar theme. There is also a Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
play named Gandhi virudh Gandhi, in which Atul Kulkarni
Atul Kulkarni
Atul Kulkarni born 10 September 1965 is an Indian actor who has won two National Awards and has superstar status in Marathi film industry after successful movies like Valu and Natarang....
features.
Further reading
- Harilal Gandhi: A Life by Chandulal Bhagubhai Dalal.
- Gandhiji's Lost Jewel: Harilal Gandhi by Nilam Parikh, grand daughter of Harilal Gandhi
- Mahatma Vs Gandhi by Dinkar Joshi
External links
- Chatterji, Shoma A. In the name of the father. Deccan HeraldDeccan HeraldThe Deccan Herald is a leading English-language daily newspaper distributed in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is published by the Printers Private Limited and has a number of editions in Bangalore, Hubli, Mysore, Mangalore and Gulbarga....
, 22 July 2007. - Gandhi Family Tree