Released 42 years ago, this masterpiece entered the history of cinema with its 9 Oscars and an extraordinary and impressive sequence, which entered the Guinness Book of Records.

Released 42 years ago, this masterpiece entered the history of cinema with its 9 Oscars and an extraordinary and impressive sequence, which entered the Guinness Book of Records.

The 1983 film Gandhi is not only known for winning nine Oscars, including Best Picture. It also spearheads a cinematic event that continues to fascinate: a mere two-minute sequence immortalized in the Guinness Book of World Records for its unprecedented scale.

It was on Delhi’s Rajpati Avenue that the monumental scene of Gandhi’s funeral, which opens the feature film, was filmed. To bring this historic moment to life with stunning realism, the production didn’t settle for just a few hundred extras. No, 300,000 people appear on screen – a staggering number never before achieved in a work of fiction.

This impressive scene was filmed on January 31, 1981, exactly 33 years after the actual burial of the Mahatma. To gather such a large crowd, the team used all possible means: radio announcements, written press, television, loudspeakers in the streets… a special mobilization that made it possible to exceed the 100,000 hired at the beginning, with the addition of 200,000 volunteers.

No fewer than eleven cameras were needed to film this scene in one morning. Even today, this technical and logistical achievement is unmatched, especially in the era of digital special effects that have replaced real crowds in modern productions.

Rediscover the controversial scene here…

A long time project

The adventure of this extraordinary film began much earlier, in 1962, when diplomat Motilal Kottar contacted Richard Attenborough and offered Mohandas K. Gandhi’s story to be told in cinema. Touched by the first pages of the Indian leader’s biography, Attenborough undertook the production and implementation of this ambitious project. However, it would take him nearly two decades to complete this monumental work.

And the bet paid off: in addition to critical and public success, Ben Kingsley, an actor of the British theater, presented a memorable performance in the main role, for which he received an Oscar for the best actor. Award among others for this film, which has become a monument of world cinema.

Gandhi is still seen on VOD.

Source: Allocine

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