Gandhi (film)

Gandhi
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Richard Attenborough
Written by	John Briley
Produced by	Richard Attenborough
Starring	Candice Bergen Edward Fox John Gielgud Trevor Howard John Mills Martin Sheen Ben Kingsley
Cinematography	Billy Williams Ronnie Taylor
Edited by	John Bloom
Music by	Ravi Shankar George Fenton
Production companies	Goldcrest Films International Film Investors National Film Development Corporation of India Indo-British Films
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures (through Columbia-EMI-Warner Distributors in the United Kingdom[1])
Release dates	30 November 1982 (1982-11-30) (New Delhi) 3 December 1982 (1982-12-03) (United Kingdom)
Running time	191 minutes[1]
Countries	United Kingdom India
Languages	English Hindi
Budget	$22 million[2]
Box office	$127.8 million[2]

Gandhi is a 1982 epic biographical film based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi, a major leader in the Indian independence movement against the British Empire during the 20th century. A co-production between India and the United Kingdom, the film was directed and produced by Richard Attenborough from a screenplay written by John Briley. It stars Ben Kingsley in the title role. The biographical film covers Gandhi's life from a defining moment in 1893, as he is thrown off a South African train for being in a whites-only compartment and concludes with his assassination and funeral in 1948. Although a practising Hindu, Gandhi's embracing of other faiths, particularly Christianity and Islam, is also depicted.

Gandhi was released by Columbia Pictures in India on 30 November 1982, in the United Kingdom on 3 December, and in the United States on 8 December. It was praised for providing a historically accurate portrayal of the life of Gandhi, the Indian independence movement and the deleterious results of British colonisation on India. Its production values, costume design, and Kingsley's performance received worldwide critical acclaim. It became a commercial success, grossing $127.8 million on a $22 million budget. Gandhi received a leading eleven nominations at the 55th Academy Awards, winning eight, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (for Kingsley). The British Film Institute ranked it as the 34th greatest British film of the 20th century. The American Film Institute ranked the film 29th on its list of most inspiring movies.