Gandhi

In a world of violence and discord, a peaceful hero like Gandhi is what we need. But how much are we willfully ignoring to satisfy our desire for a perfect hero? Journalist Mishal Husain looks beyond his rebellious schoolboy roots and trainee London lawyer, taking us to South Africa where we see a side of the icon that will be a shock to many – one who sides with Empire against black Africans.

He’s one of our most sainted revolutionary figures. But journalist Mishal Husain is uncovering a more complicated Gandhi than the Hollywood version. After an obscure law career, Mahatma faces unpopularity, political failure and a spell in a British jail. But success finally arrives as he launches the most astute campaign of the age to humiliate the British Raj.

It should have been his moment of triumph, but Gandhi is broken. India is free, but independence has come at a price: 10-20 million people displaced, countless people tortured and murdered. Gandhi himself will die by an assassin’s bullet. He’s now considered Father of the Nation – but if that’s true, why did India turn his back on Gandhi’s vision? And how did he unwittingly contribute to her fate?