About

Gandhi and Jinnah Return Home is a rare UK screening of Dr Akbar Ahmed's acclaimed play, exploring the perspectives of Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah during the final years of British India. Through music and theatre, it revisits their shared vision of peace, mutual respect and coexistence, while reflecting on contemporary issues of religious intolerance and the persecution of minorities in India and Pakistan.

Timed to coincide with the countries' Independence Day commemorations on 14 and 15 August, the production offers a powerful reflection on the enduring relevance of Gandhi and Jinnah's message.

Director: Manjula Kumar
Cast: Farhan Bhaba, Sri Mirajkar, Soumya Kini
Language: English

Introduction and Q&A

The screening will be introduced by Dr Amineh Hoti and followed by a Q&A hosted by Dr Mohammed Ali OBE, with Dr Akbar Ahmed and Manjula Kumar joining online. Closing remarks will be given by Professor Adeeba Malik CBE.

About the speakers

• Dr Akbar Ahmed is a prominent interfaith scholar, former Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland, and currently Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, Washington DC.
• Dr Mohammed Ali OBE is founder of the QED Foundation and a leading social entrepreneur.
• Manjula Kumar is a Washington DC-based film and theatre producer who directed and produced Gandhi and Jinnah Return Home.
• Professor Adeeba Malik CBE is Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and a distinguished leader in social and economic development.
• Dr Amineh Hoti is an acclaimed author, Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham and researcher at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.

This screening is supported by the BFI through National Lottery funding.