An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind,” is a famous Mahatma Gandhi line that, like the rest of the world, had impressed the then US President Ronald Reagan’s speech writers very much. They wished to quote the line in one of Reagan’s forthcoming speeches. Except, they were unable to figure out exactly when and where Gandhi had said it.
Anybody would sympathise with Reagan’s fact-checkers — as much for the lack of Google back then as for the fact that, well, let alone books on and by him, records of Gandhi’s personal writings (speeches and letters included), stretch to about a hundred archived volumes.
Reagan’s speechwriters therefore approached John Briley, who had scripted Gandhi, the 1982 Richard Attenborough film, for help. Briley told them Gandhi had never said, “An eye for an eye…” It was Briley who had written that twist on the Biblical command, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” for Ben Kingsley’s part in the movie. This is that moment in the film when Gandhi is upset over the Chauri Chaura incident.
Such is the reach and power of a medium that one of the most famous quotes (it was even the opening slate of Anurag Kashyap’s film Black Friday), attributed to one of the most quoted men in history, belongs not to the person himself, but a film based on his life.
This is ironic, I’m sure Gandhi would have disapproved. Because he admittedly hated the movies, and chose to stay away from them all his life, except once, it is reported, when he watched a mythological Ram Rajya by Vijay Bhatt. Of cinema he said, “The evil it has, or is doing, is patent. The good, if any at all, remains to be proven.”
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2019-Ausgabe von Man's World.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2019-Ausgabe von Man's World.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Is Wearing Make-Up Normal For A Man?
The male beauty industry is expanding, however what do men in beauty need to do to destigmatise it?
Achieving Your Fitness Goals
Rohit Kamble
VIJAY VARMA
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE RED HERRING
How Football Is Finding Its Voice
As the Indian Super League celebrates its tenth anniversary, we understand how the fandom in Indian football has become more vocal and organised, with some clubs also seeing the rise of Ultras groups
Through The Looking Glass
Where does the AR tech in India stand today? We try to find out after spending a few weeks with the Rokid AR Joy
Zaeden Your New 5-am friend
The singer-songwriter who is a popular name in the independent music scene, has recently dropped his highly-anticipated EP 5 am. The dance pop delves into the poignant theme of long-distance relationships, is a charming piece that is already climbing the charts
THE MACALLAN M 2023 LAUNCHES IN INDIA, REDEFINING LUXURY IN SPIRITS
With limited 10 handpicked bottles gracing the shores of India, The Macallan M 2023 stands as the pinnacle of exclusivity
American artist Grant Garmezy's magic of glassblowing
From fire to form, he takes us through one of the most exciting, adrenaline-pumping crafts out there
Haute Couture On Four-Wheels
It takes a village to build the world's (allegedly) most expensive.
Riding India's Electric Two-Wheeler Wave
India's electric two-wheeler market is booming with over 640,000 units sold by December 2023, despite consumer apprehensions and the call for better infrastructure