- Lagaan depicts villagers playing cricket against British officers to avoid taxes during colonial rule
- Rang De Basanti shows youth inspired by freedom fighters to challenge contemporary government injustices
- Border is a war film based on the 1971 India-Pakistan Battle of Longewala
In Bollywood films, patriotism is rarely limited to soldiers, battlefields, or national anthems. From the youthful rebellion of Rang De Basanti and the quiet pride of Swades to the courage of Uri: The Surgical Strike and Shershaah, these films gave patriotism different faces and meanings. They made audiences laugh, cry, question, and celebrate, while also allowing them to look at the country and its people through a different lens.
As we celebrate the 80th Independence Day today, here are the top 10 films that defined patriotism for a generation:
Lagaan
This 2001 epic period sports drama, helmed by Ashutosh Gowariker, takes the audience back to British colonial rule in India. The film follows the inhabitants of a village in India who are challenged by an arrogant British Indian Army officer to a game of cricket as a wager to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The film stars Aamir Khan in the lead role alongside Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley and Kulbhushan Kharbanda, among others.
Rang De Basanti
Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the film follows a British film student travelling to India to document the story of five freedom fighters of the Indian revolutionary movement. She befriends and casts five young men in the film, which inspires them to fight against the injustices of their present-day government. The film stars Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor and Soha Ali Khan.
Border
This epic war film by J.P. Dutta stars Sunny Deol in the lead role alongside Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty and Akshaye Khanna. Set during the India-Pakistan War of 1971, the film is based on the events of the Battle of Longewala.
Swades
This critically acclaimed drama by Ashutosh Gowariker follows a successful NASA scientist who returns to India to find his childhood nanny and rediscovers his deep connection to his homeland. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role.
Chak De! India
This sports drama film stars Shah Rukh Khan as a former captain of the Indian men's national field hockey team. After a disastrous loss to Pakistan, he is ostracised from the sport owing to religious prejudice. Seven years later, in an attempt to redeem himself, he becomes the coach of the Indian women's national field hockey team.
Lakshya
Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the film follows Karan Shergill, a lazy young man and the son of a wealthy businessman from Delhi, who joins the Indian Army and matures into a battlefield hero just as war breaks out. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta in lead roles.
Shershaah
This biographical war drama is based on the life of Vikram Batra, who was martyred in action during the Kargil War. The film stars Sidharth Malhotra as Vikram Batra, alongside Kiara Advani as his love interest.
Raazi
Directed by Meghna Gulzar, Raazi follows a RAW agent who, upon her father's request, is married into a family of military officers in Pakistan to relay information to India before the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. The film stars Alia Bhatt in the lead role. Vicky Kaushal is also part of the project.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
This biographical sports drama tells the life story of Milkha Singh, an Indian track and field sprinter known as the "Flying Sikh." The film moves between his painful past and his rise as a world-class athlete. The film stars Farhan Akhtar in the lead role.
Uri: The Surgical Strike
Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film is based on the real story of the retaliation to the 2016 Uri attack. It tells the story of Major Vihaan Shergill, who played a leading role in the events. The film stars Vicky Kaushal in the lead role, along with Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Kirti Kulhari and Mohit Raina in pivotal roles.
