Author and movie critic Gautaman Bhaskaran, for one, says Indian war films compare poorly with their western counterparts. Then there were films like Rang De Basanti (2006), Kesari (2019), Swades (2004), Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020), etc, that presented patriotic narratives, engrossing audiences.įilm critics, however, believe there’s still a lot of scope for improvement and value in such films.
The 1997 film Border (based on the 1971 Indo-Pak war) and Uri: The Surgical Strike (based on the 2016 surgical strike) received great critical acclaim, as well as huge commercial success. The post-independence era saw events like the Indo-China war, India-Pakistan skirmishes, the 1999 Kargil War, the Kashmir conflict and, most recently, the surgical strike, all of which were adapted successfully for the screen. The 1947 film Ek Kadam, in fact, featured Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on its poster. In the 1940s, the dawn of the decade of independence, Indian cinematic voice grew louder as the British presence started showing signs of fading. The 1937 film Duniya Na Mane advocated widow remarriage, while Brandy Ki Botal (1939) encouraged Gandhian morality.Īware of the newborn unity that Indian cinema was calling for, the British fired back through films like The Drum (1938), which portrayed Indians as scheming and untrustworthy. Some movies also called for uniting and letting go of societal evils. Charkha chalao behno (a song from the 1940 film Aaj Ka Hindustan) and Dur hato aye duniyawalon Hindustan hamara hai (song from the 1943 film Kismet) communicated to the Indian audience to gear up for the struggle. These films imparted a strong message of freedom from the British rule in the backdrop of the independence struggle.
In fact, going back in time, films made between 19 focused on and depicted the revolt against the British. The popularity of such films can also be attributed to the fact that many of these are inspired by true events, real-life heroes or based on ongoing conflicts and issues. It’s adrenaline-boosting dialogues like these that have enthralled audiences over the years. In the 2019 film Uri: The Surgical Strike, Vicky Kaushal’s character asks his battalion, "How's the josh?" and they shout back "High, sir!" The dialogue became a rage in the country soon after the film was released, capturing popular imagination. So when such films films are released, they rouse a lot of interest and curiosity among the audience. And why not? Patriotism in popular culture adds to the sense of ownership of one’s country. Patriotic films or those based on true events or real-life heroes have kindled the audience's interest since the birth of Indian cinema. Shershaah and Bhuj follow the long tradition of films releasing around Republic and Independence Day that feed the patriotic hunger of the audience. The officer was incharge of the Bhuj airport and, along with his team, reconstructed the IAF airbase with the help of 300 local women. The film, starring Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt, is based on the 1971 India-Pakistan war and follows the life of IAF Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik. A day later, another war film, Bhuj: The Pride of India, released on Disney+ Hotstar. A war hero, Batra sacrificed his life during the 1999 Kargil War and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. Based on the life of deceased Indian Army Captain Vikram Batra, the film is directed by Vishnuvardhan and stars Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani. On August 12, the biographical war film Shershaah released with great fanfare on Amazon Prime Video. Patriotism in popular culture adds to the sense of ownership of one's country.