New film explores student protests through Gandhi's lens

UPDATE - follow-up to The Hindu releases documentary Gandhi for GenZ: The Hindu released a 35-minute documentary titled Gandhi for Gen Z on October 2, 2026, to coincide with Gandhi Jayanthi.

Film Details

Editor Suresh Nambath and CEO L.V. Navaneeth launched the film. The event took place in the presence of The Hindu Group Chairman N. Murali and Director N. Ram. The documentary examines student protests from earlier this year at Jantar Mantar in June. Those demonstrations began after an examination paper was leaked and grew into a broader expression of youth anxiety in the current political climate.

Content and Themes

The film connects the student anger to Mahatma Gandhi's teachings on disciplined, non-violent protest. It mixes footage of the protests with archival material from Gandhi's life and visits to Kochrab Ashram and Sabarmati Ashram. Protesters relied on traditional methods like hunger strikes and non-violent action. The documentary also shows protesters placing Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar side by side, looking past old debates that set the two figures against each other. Police action against the crowds and the lack of retaliatory violence by students highlighted the principle of ahimsa.

Interviews and Production

Several prominent figures appear in interviews in the film, including historian Ramachandra Guha, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, Saurav Das of the Cockroach Janta Party, and Mirai Chatterjee from the Self-Employed Women's Association. N. Ram noted that the film is timely because it shows the ongoing value of mass protests and non-violence. Pradeep Gairola led the project, which took about three months to make. Shikha Kumari A. directed the film, Naveen Kumar V. edited it, and video team members handled camera work and post-production.

Context

Documentaries often use historical figures and archival footage to help audiences understand modern political and social movements by drawing parallels with past struggles. Such films combine expert interviews with on-the-ground reporting to examine how traditional political philosophies influence contemporary civic action.