Ten films every Indian should watch to know about the freedom struggle

Viceroy’s House (2017)

This is a British-Indian film which tells how the British planned to divide India while granting independence through Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy  who arrived India in 1947 to oversee the dissolution of the British Raj and the establishment of an Independent Indian nation.

Through the film it can be seen how Lord Mountbatten attempted to mediate disagreements between the various political factions to stop the division based on religion.

Main Khudiram Bose Hoon (2017)

This film is about Khudiram Bose, a young freedom fighter who was born in former Bengal Presidency in 1889. While at school he started revolutionary activities by throwing bombs at police stations and targeted British officials.

He was arrested and trialled for accidentally killing  two British women by throwing bombs on a carriage supposed to carry Judge Kingsford. He was hanged to death at the age of 18 making him one of the youngest martyrs of the Indian Independence Movement.

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (2010)

Starring Abhishek  Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, this film gives an account of the  1930 Chittagong uprising from the beginning to its aftermath, an armed raid to the police armoury by freedom fighters led by Surya Sen, a local school master who addressed as Mastarda by his followers. He was later arrested and hanged to death.

Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005)

This Amir Khan film depicts the rising of Mangal Pandey – a sepoy with the East India Company who in 1857 sparked the nation's first organised mutiny against the British Empire by refusing the orders of his British commanders to bite the riffle cartridge rumoured to be greased with beef fat. He was court-martialled and hanged on April 8, 1857, but by then the rebellion had spread into other parts in the country.

Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2004)

This Shyam Benegal film is about the life of one of India’s greatest patriot and nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose, also called Netaji, particularly depicting the last five years of his time in overseas while building up movement forces against the British and forming the Indian National Army, called Azad Hind Fauz.

The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)

This film is about martyr Bhagat Singh. Featuring Ajay Devgn, the film chronicles the freedom fighter’s life from his childhood when he witnessed many brutalities of the British including the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1913 until the day he was hanged to death in 1931.

Kalapani (1996)

Originally made in Malayalam, the film also dubbed and released in Hindi as Saza-E-Kala Pani. The film takes the audience to the colonial era and provides a show of the inhuman treatment that was meted out to the political prisoners and freedom fighters in the infamous Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Sardar (1993)

This film is a biographical drama film on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of India's greatest freedom fighters who after independence became the nation’s first Home Minister and integrated the erstwhile princely states with independent India.

Gandhi (1982)

This Oscar winning film made by Sir Richard Attenborough is a must see for every Indian from today’s generation to understand Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, his life, ideology, policies and in particular his non-violent movement to obtain freedom from the British.  From being thrown off from a first class train compartment in South Africa to the day of his assassination, this Oscar winning film is a profound depiction of various aspects of Gandhi’s life. The film also bring alive several other personalities who were associated with him and played an important role in India’s independence fight.

Shaheed (1965)

Starring superstar of the period Manoj Kumar, who is also famous for his string of patriotic movies, this epic film portrays inspirational biography of one of India's greatest patriots Bhagat Singh who was executed in 1931 at the age of 23 for his armed actions against the British administration. He was directly involved in two high-profile attacks on British authorities—one on a local police chief and the other on the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi.