The 1982 biographical film about Mahatma Gandhi that won the Oscar for Best Picture is Gandhi. Directed and produced by Richard Attenborough, the epic stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi and traces his development from a young lawyer in South Africa into the principal leader of India's independence movement.
The story begins with Gandhi's experiences confronting racial discrimination in 1893 and continues through his campaigns of nonviolent resistance, India's independence from Britain, and his assassination and funeral in 1948. The 191-minute production was praised for its scale, costume work, cinematography, and Kingsley's performance.
At the 55th Academy Awards, Gandhi won eight Oscars from eleven nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay. A common mix-up is to confuse the film's Oscar year with its release year: Gandhi was released in 1982, while the ceremony honoring it took place in 1983. The film is an influential introduction to Gandhi, though historians note that some episodes and political relationships are simplified for dramatic purposes.