Harilal Gandhi Biography 
Harilal Gandhi was the eldest son of Father of Nation – Mahatma Gandhi and his wife, Kasturba Gandhi. He had three younger brothers – Manilal Gandhi, Ramdas Gandhi and Devdas Gandhi. The troubled relationship between Harilal and Gandhi was the subject of the critically acclaimed award winning Hindi film - Gandhi, My Father directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. His role was portrayed by Bollywood actor, Akshaye Khanna. The play based on the tensed relationship between father and son was Feroz Abbas Khan’s Mahatma vs. Gandhi, which later became the theme of the movie. There is also a Marathi play named Gandhi virudh Gandhi. He died from liver disease, five months later the assassination of his father. His granddaughter (daughter of eldest son Ramibehn Gandhi) wrote a biography on him, titled ‘Gandhiji's Lost Jewel: Harilal Gandhi’.
He was born in the year 1988. As his father, he also dreamt to go abroad and become a barrister. As he desired to go to England for studies, his parents opposed him. As India’s freedom struggle against British was going on under Gandhi’s leadership, he never felt that his son should adopt western education and felt that it’s not worth. After rebellions against his father’s decision, he broke ties with his family in 1911. For a brief period he converted to Islam and took up the name Abdullah Gandhi. But later he reconverted to Arya Samaj Hinduism.
Gulab Gandhi was his wife and had 5 children. Two of whom died at an early age. His condition was critical when he attended his father’s funeral in 1948 January. Only a few could recognize him. He died on 18 June 1948 in a municipal hospital in Mumbai, aged 52.
Published: N/A
Updated: February 28, 2014
