At a time when biopics made on real life persons invariably evoke condemnation from those related to him/her, it is rare to find a kin of a political leader living or dead speak in complementary terms about a film made on the person's life.

Viewed in this context, it is indeed a pleasant surprise to watch Tushar Gandhi, the kin of Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest Indian leaders ever, voice effusive words of praise for a film made on the life of Gandhiji.

Ever since he saw 'Gandhi My father', a film dealing with a hitherto untouched aspect of Gandhiji's life - one pertaining to his relationship with his elder son Harilal Gandhi, at a trial show recently, Tushar Gandhi has been waxing eloquent about 'Gandhi My father' ''It is a matter of deep regret for me that I was not able to find time to be more closely associated with this unique film on Bapu's life,''says Tushar, who has been closely associated all through the making of the film, which incidentally also marks actor Anil Kapoor's debut cinematic venture as producer.

Scheduled for release worldwide on August 3, 'Gandhi My Father', marking Anil Kapoor's foray into independent production with his banner Anil Kapoor Films Company which has joined hands with the London-based leading integrated media and entertainment company Eros International, is different from the other films made on Gandhiji's life like Richard Attenborrough's 'Gandhi' and Shyam Benegal's 'The Making of The Mahatma'.

For, unlike 'Gandhi' and 'The Making of The Mahatma', 'Gandhi My father' deals with Gandhiji's persons not as Father of the Nation but rather as the father to his son Harilal Gandhi.

Dealing with the troubled relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and Harilal Gandhi, 'Gandhi My Father' is a peek into a tragic aspect of Gandhiji's life wherein his principles and quest for human dignity, which won freedom for India from British rule, also destroyed his family.

''It is a film about a father who became the father of The Nation,''says Tushar summing up the idea of the film.

Speaking in effusive terms about the film, Tushar, talking to press during a recent visit to the Capital along with its entire cast and crew, said, ''Initially, when I came to know that a film on this subject was being made, I was slightly apprehensive about whether any filmmaker would be able to handle it sensitively.

However, having watched the film now, I admire the courage of the filmmaker in being so balanced in showing the relationship between Gandhiji and Harilal 'kaka' (uncle), as also between him and 'Ba' (Kasturba Gandhi).

Considering that there have been attempts earlier to sensationalise the relationship, this balance was very admirable, Tushar said.

Commending the filmmaker and the crew for their sincerity in making the film, Tushar said, ''personally for me, watching 'Gandhi My Father' was quite a painful experience as it portrayed some sad emotions and moments that Gandhiji went through in his life.'' However, on the performance level, all the actors in the film essayed their roles with full sincerity, getting into the skin of the character, he said.

'Gandhi My Father' has actor Akshay Khanna playing the role of Harilal Gandhi while theatre actor Darshan Jariwala is in the role of Mahatma Gandhi. The role of Kasturba Gandhi has been played by actor Shefali Shah while Bhumika Chawla plays the role of Harilal's wife Gulab Gandhi.

Shot in South Africa, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bhoir near Pune, 'Gandhi-My Father' gives a fascinating insight into the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and Harilal, a relationship that has not been delved into much until now.

Eldest of Gandhiji's four sons, Harialal Gandhi returned to India from South Africa to make a career of his own. He roamed in the streets for seven years after which he resorted to alcohol and womanising. Married with three children, Harilal adopted Islam; a religion he believed would give him some kind of solace.

Later, he reconverted to Hinduism as a penance and finally drunk himself to death. The film, which deals with a period between 1906 and 1948 in Gandhiji's life, is said to be one of the biggest films in terms of scale.

Targeted at the International market, the film has been shot in two versions -- one in English while the other is in Hindi.

While the Hindi version is of two hour eight minutes duration, the English version is four minutes shorter.