Top 5 films to watch on Gandhi Jayanti

October 2nd marks that day of the year when the world remembers Mahatma Gandhi and his significant contributions towards humanity. For Indians, Gandhiji or Bapu is synonymous with our independence for this loin-clothed, frail and bespectacled man released us from the clutches of the British Raj using his most effective weapon, non-violence. His teachings and persuasive methods of non-violence have often been adopted activists worldwide to overthrow the corrupt even in present times. Such has been Bapu's influence that a plethora of films on his life and teachings have been made and released worldwide. We pick and choose the best five that you should watch on Bapu's 145th birth anniversary tomorrow. Gandhi - The best movie made on Gandhi till date ironically was scripted with the help of two significant British hands- director Richard Attenborough and actor Ben Kingsley. Right from getting the right look (Kingsley looked like a mirror image of Gandhi) to brilliantly portraying the finer nuances of Gandhi's life, this well-researched biopic traces Gandhi’s life from 1893 when he was thrown off a South African train for being in a whites-only compartment, to the epic Satyagraha and concludes with his assassination and funeral in 1948. Lagey Raho Munnabhai – Lagey Raho Munnabhai is perhaps one of the best Indian films on Gandhi purely because the movie effectively blended entertainment with Gandhi’s teachings. Noted filmmaker Raju Hirani disseminated Gandhiji’s teachings without making it preachy by making the mass-loving goon Munnabhai (Sanjay Dutt) understand the significance and effectiveness of Gandhiji’s non-violent methods even in the present day and age. Gandhigiri became the new buzz word soon after the film released. Gandhi My Father – Based upon the biography of Harilal Gandhi, Gandhi My Father unlike other Gandhi based movies, throws light on Bapu’s troubled relation with his son Harilal Gandhi. Directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, the movie saw Akshaye Khanna playing Harilal Gandhi while Darshan Jariwala portrayed Gandhi. This 2007 movie was produced by Anil Kapoor and won high critical acclaim and was feted with jury awards. The Making of Gandhi – This joint Indo - South African venture was directed by auteur Shyam Benegal and throws light on the early life of Mahatma Gandhi especially the time spent in South Africa. Based on the book, The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma, by Fatima Meer who also scripted the screenplay, Rajit Kapur played the role of Gandhi in the movie. The movie received wide critical acclaim and won Rajit Kapur the National Best Actor Award. Hey Ram – Kamal Haasan’s magnum opus, Hey Ram, centered around India's Partition and the murder of Mahatma Gandhi by Hindu fundamentalist Nathuram Godse. Kamal played the lead role of Saket Ram in this crime drama film that also had SRK in a bit role. The movie didn’t do too well at the box-office but garnered positive response outside India. The movie was also India’s official entry to the Oscar’s in the Best Foreign Film category in 2000.