Indian Independence Day: Seven patriotic Bollywood films to watch today

Uri: The Surgical Strike: Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal plays a valiant Indian army officer in this war drama ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’. Displaying a quiet blend of restraint and rage, Kaushal is in top form in this movie that dramatises a covert operation undertaken by the Indian army in September 2016. Based on true events, the film, directed by newcomer Aditya Dhar, chronicles the chain of events leading up Indian army’s secret mission to obliterate a cluster of militant camps based in Pakistan-administered Kashmir after they launched an attack that killed 19 Indian soldiers in army camps situated in Uri, a town near Srinagar. It’s an espionage thriller that could have easily been reduced to pulpy sloganeering and chest-thumping patriotism. Fortunately, it never goes down that exhausting route, presenting a refreshingly clinical and efficient approach in the way the men in uniform come together to face their common enemy. It’s a film that is violent, but the carnage never gets tedious or overly bloody.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl: This is a tale of Gunjan Saxena, India’s first fierce female combat pilot who emerged a trooper in the Kargil War after battling stereotypes and biases. Janhvi Kapoor plays the spirited young woman with grit and gumption. It’s also a searing portrait of a middle-class India’s grit and how smashing the patriarchy isn’t easy for a woman. Kapoor secures a smooth landing in all the crucial scenes. This stirring drama takes you into a world where a woman is fighting for her place on earth and in the skies. Director Sharan Sharma spearheads this feel-good biopic. While the film trains the spotlight mainly on Kapoor as this pilot hopeful, it’s her on-screen father Anup, played brilliantly by Pankaj Tripathi, who had my heart. He’s the wind beneath Saxena’s wings not just in her life, but in the film too. His superlative performance elevates this film into an immensely watchable feature.

Shershaah: Shershaah: If you are in the mood to watch a war hero who died fighting in the 1999 Kargil War, then Sidharth Malhotra’s latest film is a good pit stop. In this inspiring biopic, Malhotra brings alive the life, exploits, and courageous career of a 25-year-old Army Captain who died while on duty. This film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and is directed by Vishnu Varadhan.

Raazi: There’s nothing more satisfying than feasting on an immersive spy thriller that’s unconventional, cerebral and sharp. Director Meghana Gulzar’s ‘Raazi’ delivers beautifully on this front. Powered by brilliant performances from Alia Bhatt, as a coltish Kashmiri bride Sehman who marries into an influential Pakistani household, has enough twists to keep you hooked. Even though this is an espionage drama, this film presents a humane face to all those involved in this high-stake game filled with deceit, betrayal, and more.

Chak De India: This film is undoubtedly superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s most impressive films to date. Director Shimit Amin’s Chak De India is a compelling sports drama about a disgraced former national hockey player who agrees to coach the national women’s hockey team, seven years after he’s disgraced. This film is pulsating with action, drama, and a good dose of patriotic fervour. Khan plays coach Kabir who is spearheading the team of underdogs.

Kesari: Be warned this Akshay Kumar’s war epic ‘Kesari’ is as subtle as the overwhelming saffron-coloured turban that he sports in the battle scenes. Every valiant and scrupulous move by this brave Sikh soldier, Havildar Ishar Singh, is pummelled into us with a tedious ferocity. This film is a valiant chronicling of the Battle Of Saragarhi where 21 Sikh soldiers serving in the British regimen took on thousands of Afghan invaders. There is no grey area in this bloody epic. The adversaries, the Afghans, are shown as an army of regressive barbarians with brute strength.

Rang De Basanti: Starring Aamir Khan and a clutch of hugely talented actors such as R Madhavan and Soha Ali Khan, this accomplished drama follows a London film-maker travelling to Delhi to make a documentary about the struggle for Indian independence, based on her grandfather's memoirs. It’s an engaging film that blends history, politics, and romance with ease. The performances from all its principal players along with compelling music from Oscar winner AR Rahman makes this stirring movie a timeless watch.