India celebrates its 78th Independence Day on August 15, 2024. The theme for Independence Day 2024 is 'Viksit Bharat' ('Developed India'). The mission is to make India a fully developed nation by 2047, coinciding with the 100th year of India gaining independence from British colonial rule. India's Independence Day celebrations take place every year at the historic Red Fort in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on Independence Day 2024, sharing the achievements and concerns of the citizens. Bollywood is never far behind in depicting patriotism in films. On the occasion of Independence Day 2024, let's look at some Hindi films in recent times that evoke the feeling of patriotism.

'Border'

Released in 1997, JP Dutta's Border is one of Bollywood's finest movies on patriotism, set amidst the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. The film had an ensemble star cast of Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Jackie Shroff, Pooja Bhatt, Tabu, Sudesh Berry, and more. Bollywood buffs have a special place in their hearts for the songs of Border. If you love Hindi films that score high on music, emotions, drama and nationalism, very few can replicate the magic of Border. The good news is that a sequel, tentatively titled Border 2, has been announced with Sunny Deol in the lead. Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 will release on January 23, 2026.

'Uri: The Surgical Strike'

Actor Vicky Kaushal and director Aditya Dhar made 'How's the Josh' a buzzword after Uri: The Surgical Strike. Based on the retaliation of the Indian forces on Pakistan after the 2016 Uri attack, the 2019 film was a huge blockbuster for its intense action scenes and patriotic fervour. Vicky Kaushal's career took off in a big way after the success of this patriotic actioner.

Vicky Kaushal and Mohit Raina Made Audiences Feel Patriotic in 'Uri: The Surgical Strike' - Watch Trailer:

'Shershaah'

Shershaah (2021) received unanimous love from audiences and critics when it was released on OTT amid the pandemic. Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani excelled in this biopic on the life of Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Vikram Batra. Director Vishnuvardhan extracted the best performance from Sidharth Malhotra yet.

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani's 'Shershaah' - Watch Trailer: 

'Airlift'

Airlift (2016), an Akshay Kumar film directed by Raja Krishna Menon, was high on its moments of pure cinematic brilliance. The film was loved by the masses and classes, and the jodi of Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur was also liked. Airlift was based on the life of Indian businessman Mathunny Mathews, who evacuated a number of fellow countrymen from Kuwait during the Iraq invasion of 1990.

'Airlift' - Much-Loved Akshay Kumar Movie 

'Raazi'

Alia Bhatt delivered one of her finest performances in the patriotic espionage thrilled directed by Meghna Gulzar. Also starring Vicky Kaushal and Amruta Khanvilkar in main roles, Raazi released in 2018 and is now a modern-day classic. Based on Harinder Sikka's book Calling Sehmat, Raazi was a realistic depiction of how Indian intelligence agencies worked during  the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.

'Raazi' - One of Alia Bhatt's Finest Films 

'Swades'

Although Shah Rukh Khan's film Swades, directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, tanked at the box office, it is hailed as a classic now. Based on the theme of brain drain, the film released in 2004. SRK played the role of Mohan Bhargav, who comes to India to take his nanny, Kaveri Amma, with him to the US. Swades won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Shah Rukh Khan) and Best Background Score (AR Rahman), after eight nominations.

Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Swades’ – Hailed As Way Ahead of Its Times

'Rang De Basanti'

Aamir Khan, Siddharth, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan, Waheeda Rehman, Alice Patten, Anupam Kher, Atul Kulkarni, Om Puri and others starred in the patriotic film Rang De Basanti, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The 2006 movie was a critical and commercial success, and is considered cult. Made on a budget of INR 27 crore, Rang De Basanti was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the BAFTA Awards 2007.

The occasion of Independence Day is joyous for all Indians. Every citizen dreams of seeing India as a developed nation. Bollywood movies such as these inspire us to put our best foot forward and sacrifice for the nation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 15, 2024 06:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).