Let us celebrate India’s 77th year of Independence with some movies that remind us of the bravery and courage of freedom fighters who, in different ways, inspire us and keep the flame of patriotism in us burning.
1. Border
This is a 1977 multi-starrer film directed by J.P Dutta, which is set in the Battle of Longewala between India and Pakistan in 1971. Suniel Shetty, Akshay Khanna, Jackie Shroff, Sunny Deol, Sudesh Berry, Sharban Mukherjee, and Tabu are some of the leading cast of this film. It is all about patriotism, sacrifice, courage, and camaraderie.
2. Uri
A 2019 movie based on the true event of the Uri Attack – 4 insurgents from Pakistan attacked the Indian Army Brigade headquarters in Uri. Vicky Kaushal, along with Yami Gautam, Kirti Kulhari, Mohit Raina, and Paresh Rawal, in leading roles.
3. The Legend of Bhagat Singh
This is a 2002 movie starring Ajay Devgan in the lead role of Shaheed Bhagat Singh – a true Indian patriot and freedom fighter who laid down his life to free India at the young age of 24. The movie also stars Amrita Rao, Sushant Singh, Raj Babbar, and Farida Jalal.
4. LOC Kargil
This is a 2003 movie based on the Kargil War in 1999 between India and Pakistan. This, too, is a J.P. Dutta movie and stars Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna and Rani Mukherjee in lead roles.
5. Lakshya
Lakshya is a 2004 movie directed by Farhan Akhtar. The movie is partly based on Kargil War, and it revolves around the story of a boy who decides to join the Indian Army after his girlfriend tells him that he should have an ambition in life.
6. Rang De Basanti
This is a 2006 movie featuring Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Siddharth, R. Madhavan, Atul Kulkarni, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor and British actress Alice Patten in the lead roles. The story is about an English filmmaker who wants to make a movie about Indian revolutionaries. While casting the actors for the film, she also intrigues their spirit of patriotism and love for India.
7. Tiranga
This 1993 movie starring Raaj Kumar and Nana Patekar in lead roles never fails to entertain us. There are many light moments in the film, but it never shakes from its genre, which is clearly – patriotic.
8. Swades
One of Shahrukh Khan’s best movies, Swades also stars Gayatri Joshi, Kishori Ballal, Lekh Tandon, Rajesh Vivek, and Daya Shanker Pandey in lead roles. The movie was released in 2004 and drew inspiration from the lives of Aravinda Pillalamarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, an NRI couple, who ventured back to India to create a pedal-powered generator for schools in villages.
9. Chak de India
This is a 2007 movie that is based on the Indian Women’s Hockey Team. The movie stars Shahrukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Chitrashi Rawat, Sagarika Ghatge, Anaitha Nair, and Tanya Abrol in lead roles. The story is about how a women’s hockey team seems to have lost all hope but under the guidance of their new coach, they win an important trophy for the country.
10. Shershah
Shershah is a 2021 movie starring Siddarth Malhotra, Kiara Advani, Manmeet Kaur, Shiv Pandit, Nikitin Dheer, and Pranay Prachuri in lead roles. The movie is based on the true story of Indian Army Officer Vikram Batra, also a Paramvir Chakra recipient who was killed in the Kargil Way in 1999.
11. Sardar Udham Singh
This is a 2021 biographical historical drama film about Sardar Udham Singh, who is a freedom fighter and a part of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. The lead roles were played by Vicky Kaushal, Shaun Scott, Stephen Hogan, Amol Parashar, and Banita Sandhu.
12. Raazi
This is a beautiful story of a brave girl Sehmat played by Alia Bhatt, who marries a Pakistani family and spies for India. It is a 2018 movie where the plot of the film is inspired by real events.
13. Ghazi Attack
This is a 2017 war movie starring Rana Daggubati, Taapsee Pannu, Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni, and Satya Dev. The events of the movie have been taken from the mysterious sinking of PNS Ghazi(Pakistan submarine) when it tried to invade Indian waters.
14. Mangal Pandey
A 2005 movie starring Aamir Khan and Rani Mukherjee. The movie is based on the story of an Indian soldier Mangal Pandey who is known to have played an important role in sparking the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
15. Chittagong
This is a 2012 historical war drama movie starring Manoj Bajpayee, Barry John, and Vijay Varma in major roles. The story does have some inspiration from real lives when a small group of school boys and a brave woman under the guidance of their school teacher Surya Sen want to take down the British.