From ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ To ‘Raazi’, Patriotic Bollywood Movies To Watch This Republic Day
Republic Day 2024: From ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ to ‘Raazi’, a list of patriotic Bollywood movies to watch with your family and friends.
Republic Day in India, celebrated on January 26, holds immense significance as it marks the day when the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950. The day is marked with grand parades, cultural events, and patriotic fervour, reflecting the diverse tapestry of the nation. Bollywood has been a powerful influencer of Indian culture, often serving as a mirror to society. Patriotic films have been a recurring theme in Bollywood, capturing the spirit of sacrifice, courage, and love for the motherland. These films often explore historical events, wars, and the struggles for independence, resonating with audiences across generations.
Bollywood’s love affair with patriotic films dates back to several decades. The journey of such movies has largely evolved over the decades. Early films like ‘Mother India’ (1957) set the stage by portraying the resilience and sacrifice of individuals in the face of societal challenges. As time progressed, movies such as ‘Border’ (1997) and ‘Lagaan’ (2001) brought forth tales of heroism during wars and colonial oppression, respectively. Movies like ‘Rang De Basanti’ (2006) explore the impact of historical events on contemporary society, encouraging audiences to reflect on their roles as citizens and catalysts for change.
Modern patriotic films like ‘Raazi’, ‘Shershaah’ and ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ go beyond simplistic narratives, delving into the complexities of wars, societal issues, and personal struggles.
Bollywood's portrayal of iconic characters has left an indelible mark on the minds of viewers. Performances by actors like Aamir Khan in ‘Lagaan’ (2001), Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Chak De! India’ (2007), and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Kesari’ (2019) have become synonymous with the spirit of patriotism, adding depth and authenticity to these cinematic narratives.
Patriotic Bollywood films haven't just resonated within India. They have also contributed to shaping the global perception of the country. Movies like ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ (2019) showcase India's military prowess and resilience, garnering international acclaim and fostering a sense of pride among Indians.
While these films often receive widespread acclaim, they are not without controversies. Some face criticism for historical inaccuracies, oversimplification, or dramatization of events. However, the impact of these movies on fostering a sense of national pride truly remains undeniable and unmatched.
Patriotic Bollywood films employ powerful cinematic techniques to evoke emotion and connect with the audience. The use of stirring music, impactful dialogues, and visually compelling storytelling enhances the viewing experience.
As India celebrates Republic Day 2024, the resonance of patriotic Bollywood films becomes particularly pronounced. These movies serve as a cinematic ode to the struggles, triumphs, and enduring spirit of the nation, perfectly capturing the essence of patriotism and love for the diverse and vibrant tapestry that is India.
And you would agree that no celebration is complete without food, music, and movies. Thanks to Bollywood, we have a song and a movie for every festival and every emotion. In case you are planning on staying in on Republic Day 2024 and looking for something to watch after enjoying the grand parade on your TV screens, we have the perfect list of patriotic movies made in Bollywood that can leave you teary-eyed with their stories. So you can celebrate Republic Day 2024 by watching any or all of these films to inspire the patriot in you.
Check out the list below:
1. Mother India: Directed by Mehboob Khan, ‘Mother India’ is arguably one of the most iconic Hindi movies of all time. It is a cinematic masterpiece celebrated for its storytelling, performances, and cinematography. Rooted in Indian culture, the film explores themes of tradition, sacrifice, and women’s resilience, showcasing challenges faced by women in a patriarchal society. The 1957 film, starring Nargis Dutt, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar and Kanhaiyalal, told the story of a newly independent India as a poverty-stricken woman (Nargis Dutt) struggles to raise her two sons through many trials and tribulations in a village after her husband leaves them alone. The cult classic film represented India as a nation post-independence. The movie also focused on agrarian poverty of farmers and how money-lenders exploited them after colonialism era.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and YouTube
2. Border: No mention of patriotic films can ever be complete without the mention of J.P. Dutta’s war movie ‘Border’. The 1997 Hindi film, which featured Sunny Deol, Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Sudesh Berry, Puneet Isaar, Tabu, and Pooja Bhatt, is set during the 1971 Indo-Pak War. The Bollywood movie revolves around the 23rd Battalion Punjab Regiment consisting of 120 soldiers warding off the advances of the enemies from capturing the Longewala military post till they receive help from the Indian Air Force. The movie also gave us some of the most iconic Hindi songs like ‘Sandese Aate Hain’, ‘To Chaloon’, ‘Hindustan Hindustan’ and ‘Mere Dushman Mere Bhai’.
Where to watch: YouTube and Amazon Prime Video
3. Lagaan: The 2001 Bollywood movie, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, served as India's official entry for the 2002 Oscars. ‘Lagaan’, starring Aamir Khan in the lead role, revolves around villagers in India in 1893 who must play a cricket match against the British in order to be excused from heavy taxes. The movie, co-starring Raghubir Yadav, Gracy Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, and Suhasini Mulay among several others, takes us back in time and highlights the plight of Indian villagers under British rule during drought-stricken days. Set in pre-Independence India, ‘Lagaan’ also highlights issues like racism, casteism, and untouchability. The 2001 Bollywood film, a well-crafted and entertaining watch, delivered some of the best Hindi songs in the form of ‘Ghanan Ghanan’, ‘Radha Kaise Na Jale’, ‘Chale Chalo’, ‘Mitwa’ and more.
Where to watch: Netflix
4. Rang De Basanti: One of the most memorable works of Indian director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, ‘Rang De Basanti’ released in 2006. Even after 18 years, the film is just as relevant as it was when it released. The movie, starring Aamir Khan, Alice Patten, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, R. Madhavan and Siddharth, revolves around a British film student played by Alice Patten, who is determined to make a film on Indian freedom fighters – Bhagat Singh, Shivram Rajguru, Chandrashekar Azad, Ashfaqulla Khan, and Ram Prasad Bismil – after discovering her grandfather’s diary. She seeks help from her India-based friend Sonia (Soha Ali Khan) for casting actors that could portray the revolutionaries. The Aamir Khan-starrer questions corruption in the government, a youth that has lost its way and religious divide in India. The film, which delivered iconic songs like ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Khalbali’, ‘Paathshala’, ‘Roobaroo’, ‘Khoon Chala’, and ‘Tu Bin Bataye’, emerged as a major hit at the box office while receiving rave reviews.
Where to watch: Netflix
5. Chak De! India: The 2007 Bollywood film, directed by Shimit Amin, starred Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. SRK played the role of hockey coach Kabir Khan, who fights for his country and converts a bunch of female hockey players into winners. SRK beautifully showcases the pain of a player of the men's hockey team, who was wronged against, being called a traitor. The struggle of clearing your name and making people believe in you again, to making the women's hockey team win the World Cup at a time when everyone was against them. The 2007 film also gave us some of the most iconic dialogues. And one that we definitely can’t forget to mention is SRK’s powerful “Sattar minute” dialogue, which has been used and reused by fans ever since. Before the hockey world cup final game, Kabir Khan (SRK) told his team, “Sattar minute, sirf sattar minute hai tumhare paas. Shayad yeh tumhare zindagi ke sabse khaas sattar minute hai. Aaj tum achha khelo ya bura khelo, ye sattar minute tumhe zindagi bhar yaad rahenge.” The movie also featured popular songs like ‘Chak De India’, ‘Badal Pe Paon Hai’ and ‘Maula Mere Lele Meri Jaan’.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
6. Raazi: This Meghna Gulzar directorial stars Alia Bhatt in the lead role and released in May 2018. Adapted from Harinder Singh Sikka's novel ‘Calling Sehmat’, the movie is an inspirational story of a young Kashmiri girl Sehmat Khan, who marries Iqbal Syed, a Pakistani military officer (Vicky Kaushal), and moves to Pakistan as an Indian undercover spy. Her grit and resilience to help her country by finding out important and sensitive information from Pakistan makes this movie a must watch. Her relationship with her husband is beautifully portrayed in the movie. Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) also doesn’t falter in her mission even when she falls for her husband (Vicky Kaushal), showing true grit, courage, and her will to do anything for her country. The movie, which was a critical and commercial success, delivered heart-touching songs like ‘Ae Watan’ and ‘Dilbaro’.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
7.Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran: A must-watch movie to get patriotic fervour bubbling in your body. While not a biopic, the movie is based on true events that saw India conduct its first-ever successful nuclear test in Pokhran, Rajasthan in 1998. John Abraham plays the role of an officer in the Research and Strategy group of the Indian government. In 1995, John Abraham’s character Ashwat Raina is tasked with forming a strategy to conduct a nuclear test but his warnings of maintaining secrecy is ignored by the then government. The United States find out about India’s nuclear ambitions, and put tremendous pressure on India to call off the tests. Fast forward to 1998, Atal Bihari Vajpayee becomes the Prime Minister and John Abraham is once again tasked with getting a team ready and righting the wrongs of 1995.
Where to watch: Zee5
8. URI: The Surgical Strike: Starring Vicky Kaushal and Yami Gautam in the lead roles, this 2019 Bollywood movie is no doubt one of the best films one can watch on Republic Day. Directed by Adtiya Dhar, the movie revolves around the 2016 surgical strike conducted by India on terror launch pads in Pakistan as retaliation for the Uri attack that claimed the lives of 17 army personnel. The movie became immensely popular among the masses and was a massive success at the box office. The movie also had other notable actors like Paresh Rawal, Kirti Kulhari and Mohit Raina. This movie ticks all the right boxes of a patriotic movie and instills in viewers a sense of pride as we see Indian soldiers leaving no stone unturned to make the surgical strike a success. High on patriotic fervour, the movie received praise for compelling performances, direction, action sequences, screenplay and powerful background score. And who can forget the super popular dialogue from the movie – “How’s the josh? High Sir!”
Where to watch: Zee5
9. Kesari: This 2019 Bollywood film, starring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra, is based on historic happenings famously known as ‘The Battle of Saragarhi’. It talks about the tale of Havildar Ishar Singh, who leads 21 Sikh soldiers against 10,000 Pashtun invaders. It takes us back to one of the greatest chapters of Indian history. Directed by Anurag Singh, ‘Kesari’ delivered hit songs like ‘Teri Mitti’ and ‘Ve Maahi’. For the unversed, B Praak won a National Award for ‘Teri Mitti’.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
10. Shershaah: The 2021 Bollywood movie, which stars Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani in the lead roles, traces the life of Kargil War Hero Captain Vikram Batra. The movie shows Vikram training to be a part of the Indian Army and climbing up the ranks as the narrative progresses. We see Vikram (Sidharth Malhotra) fighting in the Kargil War and selflessly sacrificing his life for the country. The action-packed scenes will give you goose bumps while the climax will leave you teary-eyed and distraught. For the unversed, Captain Vikram Batra was honoured with the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. The movie is a beautiful tribute to the relentless spirit and bravery of our armed forces. ‘Shershaah’, directed by Vishnu Vardhan, gave us some iconic songs like ‘Raataan Lambiyan’, ‘Ranjha’, and ‘Mann Bharryaa 2.0’.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
