The film Gandhi depicts the life of Mahatma Gandhi and his role in India's independence movement through non-violent civil disobedience. Key characters include Gandhi himself along with his wife Kasturba and followers like Nehru and Jinnah. Gandhi faces discrimination travelling first class as an Indian in South Africa, sparking his non-violent campaign for Indian rights that succeeds in changing laws. Invited back to India, Gandhi mounts a massive non-cooperation campaign that puts pressure on Britain and eventually leads to Indian independence, though the country is partitioned along religious lines. Gandhi continues working for peace between Hindus and Muslims until his assassination.