The Hindu released the documentary Gandhi for Gen Z on Gandhi Jayanthi, October 2, 2026. Editor Suresh Nambath and CEO L.V. Navaneeth presented the film in the presence of Chairman of The Hindu Group N. Murali and Director N. Ram.
The 35‑minute film examines the large‑scale student protests of the past year through the lens of Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings about change through disciplined, non‑violent protest. It argues that Gandhi’s philosophies remain relevant to a generation that has only encountered his name in school textbooks.
The opening sequence shows the Jantar Mantar protest in June, then cuts to archival footage of Gandhi’s life, the freedom struggle, and his historic residences at Kochrab and Sabarmati Ashrams. The narrative follows how a leak of an examination paper sparked a broader expression of youth anxieties in today’s political climate.
Despite their anger, the students employed hunger strikes and disciplined non‑violent tactics, the oldest tools in India’s political memory that Gandhi had pioneered. The film also highlights how the protesters paired Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar, drawing lessons from both figures in a discourse that traditionally pits them against each other.
Interviews feature historian and author Ramachandra Guha, former West Bengal governor and Gandhi’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi, social activist and Gandhi’s great‑grandson Tushar Gandhi, spokesperson Saurav Das of the Cockroach Janta Party, and Mirai Chatterjee, director of the Self‑Employed Women’s Association. They discuss Gandhi’s beliefs, politics, and the student protests.
Director N. Ram said the documentary is timely and authentic, linking the freedom struggle’s mass‑protest methods to the current protests. The film, produced in about three months, was led by Pradeep Gairola, business head‑digital, The Hindu Group, and directed by Shikha Kumari A., edited by Naveen Kumar V., with camerawork and post‑production handled by The Hindu’s video team.
