History Trivia / Gandhi

* DyeingForYourArt [=/=] MethodActing: Creator/BenKingsley prepared for his role by studying newsreel footage of Gandhi, reading books on and by the man, dieting, losing weight, practicing Yoga and learning to spin thread just as Gandhi did.

** Creator/DustinHoffman expressed interest in the title role (seriously), before backing out to star in ''Film/{{Tootsie}}''. Creator/AnthonyHopkins was also offered the role, but decided he would be laughably miscast and backed out. Other candidates included Dirk Bogarde, Tom Courtenay, Creator/AlbertFinney, Peter Finch and Creator/AlecGuinness.

* AFIS100YearSeries:

* AFIS100Years100HeroesAndVillains:
** #21 Hero, Mahatma Gandhi
* AFIS100Years100Cheers: #29

* CreatorBacklash: A minor one, but Richard Attenborough stated numerous times that Creator/StevenSpielberg should have won the Best Director Oscar for ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' instead of him, and ''E.T.'' should have won Best Picture. Indeed, he actually apologized to Spielberg at the Director's Guild Awards. This gesture touched Spielberg enough that he cast Attenborough as John Hammond in ''Film/JurassicPark''.
* FakeNationality: Largely averted. Ben Kingsley's mother was English but his father, although was born in Kenya, was (like Gandhi himself) of Gujarati Indian ethnicity.
* StarMakingRole: For Ben Kingsley, as he nailed the Best Actor Academy Award.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Attempts to make a Gandhi biopic began in the 1950s; Creator/DavidLean was considered as director. Another independent project was considered by Creator/OttoPreminger who actually visited India and discussed it with Prime Minister Jawarhlal Nehru.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Attempts to make a Gandhi biopic began in the 1950s; Creator/DavidLean was considered as director. Another independent project was considered by Creator/OttoPreminger who actually visited India and discussed it with Prime Minister Jawarhlal Nehru.

* FakeNationality: Kind of. Ben Kingsley is British by birth, and of Indian and Russian-Jewish descent. His birth name was Krishna Bhanji.
** Kingsley's father was actually the same ethnicity as Gandhi: Gujarati.

* HeyItsThatGuy: A very young Creator/DanielDayLewis has a bit part as a minor thug.
** Nehru is [[Film/IndianaJones Chattar Lal]] and... '''[[Film/StreetFighter Dhalsim]]?!'''
** Series/MurphyBrown was a photographer doing a story on Gandhi, and her driver is [[Series/{{Cheers}} Cliff Clavin]].
** One of the [[ActorAllusion bureaucrats serving the Crown]] is [[Series/YesMinister Sir Humphrey Appleby]].
** [[TheHistoryBoys Hector]] also appears.
** [[Series/TheWestWing President]] [[Creator/MartinSheen Bartlet]] is Vince Walker, the American reporter sympathetic to Gandhi's cause.
** South African [[Theatre/MasterHaroldAndTheBoys playwright/actor Athol Fugard]] plays General Jan Smuts.
** [[Literature/TheDayOfTheJackal The Jackal]] is General Dyer.
** Ghaffar Khan is Mola Ram.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Attempts to make a Gandhi biopic began in the 1950s; Creator/DavidLean was considered as director. Another independent project was considered by Creator/OttoPreminger who actually visited India and discussed it with Prime Minister Jawarhlal Nehru.

* CreatorBacklash: A minor one, but Richard Attenborough stated numerous times that Steven Spielberg's ''ET'' should've won the all Best Director and Best Picture awards instead of him, he actually apologized to Spielberg at the Director Guild Awards. Spielbeg was so touched that Attenborough was later cast in Jurassic Park.
* FakeNationality: Kind of. Ben Kingsley is British by birth, and Indian and Russian-Jewish descent. His birth name was Krishna Bhanji.

* HeyItsThatGuy: A very young Daniel Day-Lewis has a bit part as a minor thug.
** Nehru is [[IndianaJones Chattar Lal]] and... '''[[Film/StreetFighter Dhalsim]]?!'''
** MurphyBrown was a photographer doing a story on Gandhi, and her driver is [[Series/{{Cheers}} Cliff Clavin]].

** [[Series/TheWestWing President]] [[Creator/MartinSheen Bartlett]] plays Vince Walker, the reporter sympathetic to Gandhi's cause.

** [[TheDayOfTheJackal The Jackal]] is General Dyer.

* StarMakingRole: For Ben Kingsley, as he nailed the Oscar for Best Actor.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Attempts to make a Gandhi biopic were started in the 50’s; Creator/DavidLean was considered for the director’s chair. Another independent project was considered by Creator/OttoPreminger who actually visited India and discussed it with Prime Minister Nehru.

** MurphyBrown was a photographer doing a story on Gandhi, and her driver is [[{{Cheers}} Cliff Clavin]].
** One of the [[ActorAllusion bureaucrats serving the Crown]] is [[YesMinister Sir Humphrey Appleby]].

** [[Series/TheWestWing President]] [[MartinSheen Bartlett]] plays Vince Walker, the reporter sympathetic to Gandhi's cause.

* FakeNationality: Kind of. Ben Kingsley is British by birth, though he is of Indian descent. His birth name was Krishna Bhanji.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Attempts to make a Gandhi biopic were started in the 50’s; Creator/DavidLean was considered for the director’s chair.

** Nehru is [[IndianaJones Chattar Lal]].

* CreatorBacklash: A minor one, but Richard Attenborough stated numerous times that Steven Spielberg's ''ET'' should've won the Best Director and Best Picture awards instead of him, he actually apologized to Spielberg at the Director Guild Awards. Keep in mind that Attenborough was later cast in Jurassic Park.

* CreatorBacklash: A minor one, bu Richard Attenborough stated numerous times that Steven Spielberg's ''ET'' should've won the Best Director and Best Picture awards instead of him, he actually apologized to Spielberg at the Director Guild Awards. Keep in mind that Attenborough was later cast in Jurassic Park.

** MurphyBrown was a photographer doing a story on Gandhi.
*** ...and her driver is [[{{Cheers}} Cliff Clavin]]
** One of the [[ActorAllusion bureaucrats serving the Crown]] is [[YesMinister Sir Humphrey Appleby]]

** [[Series/TheWestWing President]] [[MartinSheen Bartlett]] plays Vince Walker, the reporter sympathetic to Gandhi's cause.

** [[TheWestWing President]] [[MartinSheen Bartlett]] plays Vince Walker, the reporter sympathetic to Gandhi's cause.

** [[TheHistoryBoys Hector]] also appears.

* [[TheHistoryBoys Hector]] also appears.

** One of the [[ActorAllusion bureaucrats serving the Crown]] is [[YesMinister Sir Humphrey Appleby]]

** It's not a well known fact but John Ratzenberger has a small part in this movie.

** MurphyBrown was a photographer doing a story on Gandhi.

* [=~Hey, It's That Guy!~=]: A very young Daniel Day-Lewis has a bit part as a minor thug.

* [=~Hey, It's That Guy!~=]: A very young Daniel Day-Lewis has a bit part as a minor thug.