Let’s be honest, one of the great perks of celebrating Independence Day on 15th August in 2022 is that it’s coming on Monday. Yay, long weekend! And, what’s a better way to spend your extra day off than with a movie marathon that stirs the patriotic spirit in you? Kyunki, dil hai Hindustani, after all!
And while we love the classics like Border, Lagaan, Mother India, and the many adaptations of Bhagat Singh, the last five years have seen some real gems when it comes to patriotic movies. So, here’s an updated watchlist for the 75th year of Independent India.
Grab that popcorn and get ready to feel your chest swell with pride.
5 Patriotic Movies On OTT Platforms To Watch This Independence Day
1. URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE
Release Year: 2019
“How’s the josh? High, Sir!” You know you have something special when not just the general public but even the Prime Minister of your country is reciting the most iconic dialogue of this patriotic movie on a national stage. The movie is a depiction of the surgical strike India carried out in retaliation to the 2016 Uri attack. Vicky Kaushal’s performance is soul-stirring and makes you feel personally triumphant when you see the fictionally dramatised account of how the Indian army executed a covert operation against a group of militants. The supporting cast of Kriti Kulhari, Paresh Rawal, Yami Gautam and Mohit Raina relay the other important characters of the story, making the narrative extremely engaging.
Watch URI: The Surgical Strike on Zee5
Read: 10 Best Movies Starring Deepika Padukone
2. Raazi
Release Year: 2018
One of Alia Bhatt’s best performances, Raazi is a masterpiece by Meghna Gulzar with a strong ensemble star cast featuring Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Soni Razdan, Kanwaljit Singh, Shishir Sharma, Arif Zakaria and Sanjay Suri. Alia’s character Sehmat Khan is an undercover RAW agent who is married into a military Pakistani family to secure valuable information prior to the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. Her father Hidayat Khan is instrumental in this strategic alliance while her husband Iqbal Syed (Vicky Kaushal) is seemingly oblivious to Sehmat’s true purpose. The storytelling of this spy thriller through the young eyes of 20-year-old Sehmat is unique in every way. No chest-thumping, no long-drawn monologues in loud volume, just an agent who loves her country more than life itself.
Watch Raazi on Amazon Prime
3. Shershaah
Release Year: 2021
All 90s kids were old enough to really register and remember the Kargil War of 1999. And among many moments, etched in our memory are speeches by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, coverage by journalist Barkha Dutt, and Captain Vikram Batra’s iconic “Yeh Dil Maange More” playing on prime time news after the successful capture of Point 5140. And Shershaah is the story of Captain Batra played by Siddharth Malhotra. The biopic takes you through his life in the army all the way to when he was martyred in the war. This story of the witty, brave young soldier interspersed with the narrative of the love of his life Dimple Cheema (played by Kiara Advani) is a rollercoaster of emotions.
Watch Shershaah on Amazon Prime
Read: 7 Favourite Mom-Centric Movies On OTT Platforms That Celebrate Your Maa
4. Kesari
Release Year: 2019
You wouldn’t believe this movie is inspired by real-life events simply because of the odds. But it’s true. In the battle of Saragarhi, 21 Sikh soldiers fought against 10,000 Afghans in 1897. The brave men were led by Havildar Ishar Singh (played by Akshay Kumar) and they stood their ground till their dying breath, putting up a strong fight against the invaders. Ishar’s bravery impressed the Afghan leader so much so that he ordered his men not to touch the fallen Sikh’s turban. A story of unparalleled strength, courage, and fearlessness, the movie speaks to the unshakeable bravery of Indians defending their land.
Watch Kesari on Amazon Prime
5. Sardar Udham
Release Year: 2021
If you read the reviews of Sardar Udham by real moviegoers and you’ll find one common citing: The Jallianwala Bagh massacre scene. People have cried or almost cried, leaving theatres filled with disturbing and overwhelming emotions over the depiction of this moment in history. Vicky Kaushal’s Udham Singh is a freedom fighter from Punjab who assassinates Michael O’Dwyer in London to avenge the massacre of the 20,000 peaceful protestors who were killed in Amritsar. The movie transitions from the past to the present day seamlessly, and the narrative will stir the same patriotism in you as the many movie adaptations of Bhagat Singh.
Watch Sardar Udham on Amazon Prime
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