Also screening at 7:30PM

“There is an extremely rich documentary tradition in Indian cinema, helped along by legislation which requires the screening of documentary shorts with any feature presentation. But monumental documentary features, such as this three-part, three-hour work on the life of Jawaharlal Nehru, are scarce in any language. And of course, the significance of Nehru's role in the struggle for Indian independence, and his position as the first Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy, is fully deserving of such lengthy treatment. The combination of exceptional newsreel footage, visits to historical sites and the use of stills, documents etc., coupled with a narration that quotes from Nehru's own words, is tremendously effective in honoring the memory of this major third-world leader, as well as in portraying the rise of his daughter, Indira Gandhi.
“India's tragic prominence in the news over the last year gives us cause to reflect upon a colonial history too easily clouded over. If at times there is a certain antiwestern feeling present in Pandit Nehru, there is certainly boundless justification. (Co-)directed by Hindi filmmaker Shyam Benegal, whose importance as one of India's outstanding feature directors has obscured his accomplishments as a documentarist, Nehru is an extraordinary accomplishment.” Geoff Gilmore, San Francisco International Film Festival ‘85