Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara

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Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (I Did Not Kill Gandhi) is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Jahnu Barua and produced by Anupam Kher. The movie stars Anupam Kher and Urmila Matondkar, with music by Bappi Lahiri and distribution by Yash Raj Films. It released on 30 September 2005.

Plot
The story follows Uttam Chaudhary, a retired Hindi professor who is slowly losing his memory to dementia. After he sees an ashtray placed on a newspaper photo of Mahatma Gandhi, his condition worsens and he believes he has killed Gandhi with a real-bullet gun. His daughter Trisha and son Karan try to help him, consulting doctors who say little can be done. To understand Uttam’s memory and guilt, the family learns from his brother about a childhood incident involving balloons and a Gandhi picture. A doctor, Siddharth, helps Uttam realize his home isn’t a jail and that he wasn’t poisoned. In court, experts explain that a toy gun could not have killed Gandhi, helping Uttam face the truth about his memories and his belief.

Cast
- Anupam Kher as Professor Uttam Chaudhary
- Urmila Matondkar as Trisha Chaudhary
- Rajit Kapur as Ronu Chaudhary
- Parvin Dabas as Dr. Siddharth Kothari
- Prem Chopra as Dr. Verma
- Waheeda Rahman as Principal Sunita Khanna
- Boman Irani as Public Prosecutor / Stage Actor
- Sudhir Joshi as Advocate Joshi
- Raju Kher as Gattu Chacha
- Nazneen Ghani and others in supporting roles

Reception
- The film was praised by some critics for its sincerity and craft. Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com called it a masterpiece, highlighting the cinematography by Raaj Chakravarti and Bappi Lahiri’s soulful score.
- Jaspreet Pandohar of BBC.com gave it 4 out of 5, calling it thought-provoking and refreshingly non-musical for Bollywood, with strong performances from the lead actors.
- Taran Adarsh of IndiaFM gave a negative view, rating it 1 out of 5 and suggesting that the film may feel too theatrical to many viewers.
- Anupam Kher received the Special Jury Award at the 53rd National Film Awards for his performance, and Urmila Matondkar won the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Actress for her role as Trisha.

Everything in Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara revolves around memory, dementia, and the enduring relevance of Gandhi’s ideas in a modern Indian setting. The film is a drama about guilt, family bonds, and the search for truth through the fog of aging and illness.