New film explores student protests through Gandhian principles

UPDATE - follow-up to The Hindu to release documentary Gandhi for GenZ today: The Hindu released its 35-minute documentary, Gandhi for Gen Z, on October 2, 2026, to highlight how Mahatma Gandhi's teachings connect with modern youth struggles.

Film Details

Editor Suresh Nambath and CEO L.V. Navaneeth launched the film on Gandhi Jayanthi alongside The Hindu Group Chairman N. Murali and Director N. Ram. The project took about three months to make and was spearheaded by digital business head Pradeep Gairola. Shikha Kumari A. directed the film, Naveen Kumar V. edited it, and the video team handled camerawork and post-production.

Content And Themes

The documentary examines student protests at Jantar Mantar in June. These protests began over a leaked examination paper and grew into a broader expression of youth anxieties in today's political climate. The film contrasts archival footage of Gandhi's life, the freedom struggle, and his historic residences at Kochrab Ashram and Sabarmati Ashram with scenes of recent student demonstrations. Despite facing police action and anger, the students relied on disciplined, non-violent protest methods and hunger strikes. The film also shows protesters placing Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar side by side to draw lessons from both.

Interviews And Reactions

The film features interviews with historian Ramachandra Guha, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Saurav Das, and Self-Employed Women's Association director Mirai Chatterjee. N. Ram stated that the documentary is timely because it highlights the meaningful relevance of India's freedom struggle and the importance of non-violent mass protests.

Context

Documentaries often serve to bridge historical philosophies with current social events by using archival material and interviews with experts and descendants. This film links early anti-colonial methods directly to recent youth activism in urban centers like New Delhi.