Peter Ustinows People Series: The Ghandhis Of India

This documentary, which follows actor Peter Ustinov on a two-day excursion with the late Indira Gandhi during the latter part of October, 1984, is a strange, disturbing film. What's most disturbing is that Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated while walking through her garden enroute to an interview with Ustinov. Fortunately, the program does not focus on the sensational aspects of the tragic event. Instead, we see Ustinov admiring the courage and compassion of this amazing woman, as she takes to the plane, the road, and the field to talk to the people. Following the assassination, Indira Gandhi's son Rajiv was elevated to Prime Minister (a position he still retains). The balance of Ustinov's portrait focuses on the shifting of power from mother to son, and Rajiv's ideas about bringing India directly into the information age (bypassing the industrial revolution) - an interesting if questionable plan. Larger libraries may want this to expand their non-fiction collections; for others not a necessary purchase. (See ALCATRAZ: THE FINAL SENTENCE for availability.)