1977: A Madman Turns 40: Day 81

   On this date in Madman history, India's first female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi would resign from office after both her and her son lost soundly in elections. She would leave office 2 days later. 
   
    This wouldn't be the last the world would hear of Indira Gandhi. She would win re-elections in 1980 and would stay in office until October 31st of 1984 when two of her bodyguards assassinated her in defiance to her military actions against an insurgency lead by a militant Sikh religious leader. 
   

Theatrical release poster for Gandhi, 1982.

    As a child, the film Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley was a massive hit. It stole the Academy Award for Best Picture for the Empire Strikes Back. WELLLLLLLLLL......

    Upon doing a little research for today's article, turns out I was wrong about that. Sir Richard Attenborough's Gandhi was released in 1982. Empire was in 1980. So, all this time I've been mad that Gandhi won Best Picture over my favorite film of all time- I actually should have been mad at Ordinary People, one of my wife's favorite films. 

Prime Minister Nehru, Indira's father
and unintentional fashion icon.

    I guess this is a good time to speak of another confusion that has to do with the film Gandhi. As I had mentioned a few days back, my parents watched the Nightly World News every night and I was strongly encouraged to do the same. So, I would always pick up bits and pieces about world events. When Indira Gandhi was murdered in 1984, because of popularity of the Gandhi motion picture, I always thought that she was Gandhi's daughter or daughter-in-law. It turns out she was neither. They both had the same last name and I was 6- give me a break folks!

Young Indira with Mahatma Gandhi, 1924.

    Yes- Indira knew the beloved advocate for independence from England. But her father was Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minster of India. And NO- her last name was not some sort of tribute to Gandhi. Indiri Nehru meet a man who would be her future husband with last name of Gandhi but he was no relation to the political legend.

News of Indira Ganghi's death is front page news,
The Washingto Post, 10/31/84.

     So that's my very confused look at my favorite year for today. I learned a lot about misconceptions I had as a child. I just hope that I don't get confused and think all this stuff wrong again years later.

     Until tomorrow...