Independence Day Special: 'Sabyasachi' To 'Sardar Udham Singh'; Patriotic Movies And Series To Watch On OTT
For the longest time, films have made 21st century Indians realize the importance of Indian Independence and the struggle of thousands of freedom fighters.
New Delhi: India celebrates its 77th Independence Day on August 15. For the longest time, films have made 21st-century Indians realize the importance of Indian Independence and the struggle of thousands of freedom fighters. Joining them, web shows on the OTT platform have also gotten into gear for some patriotism-filled entertainment. There is one patriotic film/web series this year for everyone. And you needn’t waste your time searching for it.
Here’s a list of 10 films and web series to watch this Independence Day.
Sabyasachi (1977): This old film is extremely underrated. It is based on Pather Dabi by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and directed by Pijush Bose. Starring the biggest Bengali actors like Uttam Kumar, Supriya Devi and Bikash Roy, this film familiarizes us with the Freedom struggle in Bengal and how a freedom fighter named Sabyasachi formed a secret organization called Pather Dabi and moved along with his struggle to set India free of colonial rule. You can watch it on Hoichoi
Lagaan (2001): This OG classic patriotic film by Ashutosh Gowariker starring Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh and other big actors from the television and theatre world, tells the story of Indians under the rule of the Britishers. How badly they were treated and how they triumphed over them, through a game of cricket. Lagaan is one hell of an emotional ride. And anyone looking to ignite their inner patriotic journey must pick this one as their first. There’s not just the Indian struggle to freedom but many other societal issues underlined. You can watch Lagaan on Netflix.
The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002): This Ajay Devgan starrer film by Rajkumar Santoshi, as the name suggests is a story about the freedom struggle by Bhagat Singh and his two partners RajGuru and Sukhdev. The film commemorates their memory in a beautiful story with a tragic end just like the real one. The film fills you with both pride and anger (towards the colonial rule). You can stream it on Amazon Prime Video.
Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005): This one Stars Aamir Khan with Rani Mukherjee, Kirron Kher, Toby Stephens, Ameesha Patel and others. This film by Ketan Sharma revolves around an intense conflict during the mid-century Afghan wars, Mangal, a brave soldier, saves his British commanding officer, William Gordon. All this lead to a bonding that transcends ranks and status. This Film can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Rang de Basanti (2006): Aamir Khan as you can see has done a lot of Freedom struggle-themed films. This film by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra also starring Aamir Khan with R. Madhavan, Kirron Kher, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor, Alice Patten, Waheda Rehman, Siddharth, Anupam Kher and many other famous theatre actors. The story is mainly after a group of friends graduate from Delhi University, they listlessly haunt their old campus, until a British filmmaker (Alice Patten) casts them in a film she’s making about freedom fighters under British rule. This film is all shades of drama and holds a lot of significance in understanding the struggle for Indian freedom. You can stream it on Netflix.
Sardar Udham Singh (2021): This film is a rather new addition to the Bollywood list of patriotic cinema. The film starring Vicky Kaushal as Shaheed Udham Singh is based on the real-life incidents of the freedom fighter’s life. The film is very highly rated and is a great entertainer as well. Not only the film creates the magic that transcends you to the olden times but also keeps you wound in with the historical background. It also highlights one of the biggest tragedies of India, The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and the devastating realities of the British Raj. You can watch it on Amazon Prime video.
Tilak Ani Agarkar (2021): This isn’t a film or web show but a television play, that started out as a YouTube one-minute video and is actually a theatre show that stills rules the Marathi Theatre scene. Adapted by a play by Vishram Bedekar a famous Indian writer, Sunil Ramesh Joshi has directed this 2.2-hour-long TV special. Starring Sunil Ramesh Joshi, Nayana Apte, Akash Bhadsavle and other famous Marathi actors, this film is an ode to friendship between two freedom fighters; Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Gopal Ganesh Agarkar. The special takes you back to the period of 1880-1895 and the situation of the country back then. Known as the milestone play of the Marathi stage, this is a must-watch. You can watch it on Doordarshan Shayadri’s YouTube.
Bose Dead/Alive (2017): This list now moves on to the web series that delves into the patriotic feels. This series starring Rajkumar Rao as Subhash Chandra Bose breathes life into the memory of the alleged death of the famous freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose. His life, his, struggles, his Pride, and his determination are beautifully highlighted in the show. Based on Anuj Dhar’s book India’s Biggest Cover-up and show created by Ekta Kapoor, season 1 can be streamed for free on Jio Cinema.
Regiment Dairies (2018): A breather from all the historical events made into shows, this is actually a docu-series available on Netflix. In the series, the host provides insights into the various regiments of the Indian army, their training, traditions, history, contributions and how a civilian becomes a soldier. It’s a beautiful ode to the Indian Army and their struggle to keep the country safe and peaceful. The series makes you proud and wells up your heart with joy and gratitude. It can’t be missed.
Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 (2018): Saragarhi Yudh based on this series, talks about all the struggles of the soldiers involved in the Saragarhi attack. In September 1897, 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikh regiment of the British Indian Army defend an army outpost at Saragarhi against an attack by over 10,000 Pashtun and Orakzai tribals. This story talks about all of it. The show is produced by Abhimanyu Singh and stars Mohit Raina, Mukul Dev, Prakhar Shukla and many famous TV stars. Originally made for Discovery Jeet. You can now watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
The Forgotten Army- Azadi ke Liye (2020): Last but not least this show of Amazon Prime Video is a great addition to your TBW list. Directed by Kabir Khan and starring names like Sharvari Wagh and Sunny Kaushal this series is a memento of all the lost names of freedom fighters who were part of the biggest army in India that struggled and gave up their lives in order to get the country free. As Prime Video highlights, “The Forgotten Army” is a truly epic war series about the Indian soldiers from the Azad Hind Fauj who marched 3,884 km from Singapore to Delhi to free their country from the British. Led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, they fought against their size and scale but were labelled by the then-ruling establishment as traitors. You will experience an action-packed series recreating this momentous juncture in history.
We wish everyone a Happy Independence Day!
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