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India is celebrating its 72nd Independence Day on August 15, 2019. If you have a holiday on that day, of course, you have, and are planning to watch a movie to celebrate the occasion, there are two ways to do it. You can go the theatre and watch the two big Bollywood movies that are releasing on the same day. One is Mission Mangal, that stars Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharman Joshi, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Nithya Menen in the lead. Movies This Week: John Abraham’s Batla House, Akshay Kumar’s Mission Mangal, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Once upon a Time in Hollywood – Independence Day Sees 3 Movies Based on True Events,
The other is Batla House, that stars John Abraham and Mrunal Thakur in the lead. And if you are a Hollywood aficionado, there is Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Hollywood releasing on the same day. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Movie Review: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt Indulge in a Zany Bromance in Quentin Tarantino’s Darkly Delightful Ode to Cinema.
But if you want to crash in on your couch and watch some patriotic movies instead, we have a few recommendations here, from this century itself!
Lagaan
India's last nominated film at the Oscars is a fine patriotic movie with a twist. It's about a group of Indian villagers beating their British masters at their own game. The movie stars Aamir Khan in the lead, and is directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.
Pukar
One of Bollywood's most underrated thrillers, Pukar's dismal box office performance is quite a disappointment, considering how the film excels in its plotting and performances. The movie is about a righteous army officer who catches a dangerous terrorist and faces the consequences of this action. He is betrayed by his close friend, who is infatuated by him and is disgraced in the army, before he makes it his mission to set things right. Anil Kapoor won a National Award for his performance in the film, while AR Rahman's score still manages to create waves! Que Sera Sera!
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha
Releasing on the same day as Lagaan, this Sunny Deol-starrer became the bigger hit but it is the former who stands the test of time. While Gadar is cheesy by today's standards, the fact that a single Sunny Deol took down an entire Pakistani army just to get his family back home is stuff legends are made of!
The Legend of Bhagat Singh
Once upon a time, or let's be even clearer, in the year 2002, Bollywood film-makers had this sudden fascination with freedom fighter and martyr Bhagat Singh. Several movies were made in a single year, two of them releasing on the same day. It is this version, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, that stood out thanks to an exemplary performance by Ajay Devgn, impactful narrative and AR Rahman's subliminal score. A must watch for those who need to learn the struggles our freedom fighters went through to make this country a field of dreams and how far we are from that dream!
Rang De Basanti
Speaking of Bhagat Singh, how can we not mention this revolutionary film that uses the influence of the legend to propel a modern-day saga? Aamir Khan leads the brat pack in this Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra film that showcases how the youth of the country can be a carefree lot. But push them to the corner, and they are ready to come out fighting for what's right.
Chak De! India
The movie that gave every Indian sport match its theme song. Chak De! India is considered one of the finest sports movies ever made in Bollywood. So what does it has to with patrotism? Because the coach of the Indian Women's hockey team, Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), wants that cup for his country, and he and his girls do exactly that!
Swades
Aka the flick that gave the NRI's a momentary twinge of guilt about not returning home, before they returned to pleasing the whites and the Arabs! Ashutosh Gowariker's followup to Lagaan may not have worked at the box office, but considered as a masterpiece these days. And that final song 'Yeh Jo Desh Hai Tera'... man, what an ode to the place you call your home!
Lakshya
Farhan Akhtar's second film, like his first (Dil Chahta Hai), is once again about youngsters, or rather the aimless lot who finds a purpose to their lives and works hard to get to it. And the movie uses the Kargil War as an excellent plot device for a youngster to find his aim. While it was a flop at the box office, Lakshya excels both as a war movie and a coming of age drama, with a stellar act from Hrithik Roshan. 15 Years of Lakshya: Why Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta’s Movie Remains the Best War Movie in Bollywood by Not Being One!
Uri: The Surgical Strike
Uri: The Surgical Strike is based on the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian army on the terrorist camps on the border as retaliation for the 2016 Uri attack. While the movie has been criticised for being a propaganda piece for the government and for fabricating the truth, Uri went on to become a huge hit at the box office, and also scoring a few trophies at the National Film Awards 2019, including Best Actor for Vicky Kaushal.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2019 10:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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