Happy Republic Day 2022: Shershaah, 83 & other Bollywood films to ignite spirit of patriotism within you

India will be celebrating its 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday. Each year January 26, is celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm. The day holds special importance as the Constitution of India came into effect on this date in 1950. The governing document of India is also a celebration of the ideals of democracy, equity, social justice and the idea of India that our freedom fighters and nation builders dreamt about. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has once again altered the celebrations but nothing can diminish the flame of patriotism within us Indians. To celebrate the day watch these Bollywood films that mimic this emotion.

83

What makes a nation truly great? Collaboration, synergy, and aspiration. These values can make a country achieve the impossible was demonstrated when the Indian cricket team led by skipper Kapil Dev won the World Cup for the first time in 1983. This uplifting Kabir Khan directorial is a reminder that only when we play and dream together as one team and one nation, can we win. Produced by Deepika Padukone, Kabir Khan, Vishnu Vardhan Induri, Sajid Nadiadwala, Reliance Entertainment and 83 Film Ltd, the film stars  Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, a fantastic ensemble cast and is destined to go down in history as a film that is more than just about cricket.   

Shershaah 

Helmed by Vishnuvardhan, the film stars Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani in the lead. The biographical drama narrates the life of Param Vir Chakra-awardee Captain Vikram Batra, from his first posting in the army to his death in the Kargil War. The film premiered on 12 August 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.

Uri: The Surgical Strike 

Starring Vicky Kaushal and Yami Gautam, this movie is no doubt one of the best films one can watch on Republic Day. It’s based on true events and revolves around the surgical strike conducted by India on terrorists after the Pulwama attack. The movie became immensely popular among the masses and was a blockbuster.

Raazi

Based on Harinder Sikka’s 2008 novel ‘Calling Sehmat’, Raazi is a real story of a young Muslim girl who at the behest of her father becomes a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent  and marries into a high-profile, Pakistani family of military officials. What follows next is an unbelievable story of heartbreak and sacrifice that results in Sehmat saving her country from a major threat during the Indo- Pak War of 1971. The 2018 spy thriller was directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta. Alia Bhatt played the titular role with great sincerity and was ably supported by Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, and Jaideep Ahlawat. 

Airlift

This movie, which had Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur in the lead, showed the story of a successful businessman stranded in the city of Kuwait set during the time when it got invaded by Iraq and resulted in thousands of Indians getting stuck in the warzone. The storyline of the movie was inspired by true events and depicted an actual picture of what the Indian citizens went through before being rescued and brought home with the help of the authorities.

Rang De Basanti

What was it that drove young freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Ashfaqulla Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil and Chandrashekhar Azad to risk their lives for India? It was their belief in the idea of India that made them risk everything to win freedom for the country. Rang De Basanti made us introspect why that idealism had eroded in independent India and if we could rediscover it by mobilising the power of citizens, asserting the right to dissent and standing up against corruption. The film made huge waves in 2006, was produced and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and featured  Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi, Cyrus Sahukar, Kunal Kapoor and  Alice Patten.  

Swades

Directed by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, Shah Rukh Khan delivered one of his best performances of all time with ‘Swades’. The plot revolved around how a NASA scientist falls in love with his motherland all over again. He decides to relocate to India and dedicates his life to developing his childhood hometown. The movie proved to be a commercial failure despite positive reviews. However, many feel that it was a celebration of the ‘real India’ that is synonymous with warmth and tranquillity.

-with ANI inputs