A Gandhian Affair: India’s Curious Portrayal of Love in Cinema

The central argument of the book is that Hindi cinema's treatment of romance and sexuality cannot be understood only through entertainment or censorship. Suri connects it to the larger moral and social environment of post-independence India.

According to the book's description, Gandhi's emphasis on celibacy, simplicity and withdrawal from material wealth became part of the cultural background against which Hindi cinema developed. The author then examines how filmmakers represented desire, relationships, wealth and morality within these cultural boundaries.

Sanjay Suri is a London-based journalist who has worked there since 1990. He studied at Delhi University and the London School of Economics.

He has also written:

• Brideless in Wembley

• Naked Rain and Other Poems

• 1984: The Anti-Sikh Violence and After

His journalistic background is reflected in A Gandhian Affair, where he combines cultural observation with historical and social analysis.

The book starts with a seemingly simple question: Why does Hindi cinema portray love and sexuality in such distinctive ways?

Suri looks at Hindi cinema after independence and observes that sex and money repeatedly appear as major themes, even when films appear conservative on the surface.

He then connects this apparent contradiction to the moral atmosphere created by Gandhi's public image and philosophy. Gandhi's emphasis on self-control, celibacy, simplicity and rejection of excessive materialism became part of India's cultural imagination.