If someone asked you to name one of the most prominent movies about Indian independence, wouldn't Gandhi be the first name on your lips? Well, I should hope so, otherwise I will feel horribly old. Has there been anything else that personifies their struggle better than the epic biography about that famous leader? Now what if you wished to dive in a little bit more into this topic? What if you wanted to see a few more movies about colonial life in India or, at least, flicks about the good fight for independence and justice? It could very well be your thing; I like zombie movies, who am I to judge? So I made a helpful little list of Hindi movies that paint a harrowing picture of life in the pre-1947 period, movies which I may add have a feel good ending as the oppressed folks grab the steering wheel and take command for themselves. In a good way.
Rang De Basanti
This was a rather artistic movie and had an interesting method of narrating the story. For one thing, the story-line kept jumping from the past to the present whereby the director used the same characters. It certainly made it fun viewing and added to its appeal. Dating back to 2006, this movie was directed by R. Omprakash Mehra and stars famous actors like Amir Khan.
The actual plot is set in modern times. You have a group of young folk who sign up for a movie about Indian Freedom Fighters. For sake of clarity, let me point out that the latter refers to men and women who resisted British colonial rule. The younger generation respects the past but can't identify with it. And you can see it as they act out the roles of all the resistance fighters. But then, they are soon forced to explore their own lives and say, “Hang on! We can't let the current authorities/leaders/people in charge treat everyone like that”.
I think the whole point of the movie is to contrast the ideals of forefathers with what the youth have become. Or at least to point out that the good fight still needs to be fought. In this case, the young folks find out that, in order to maintain continued freedom and independence, they can't be apathetic about governance and all that. It's pretty heavy-handed when you think about it. However, do note that the scriptwriter and director has a good sense of humor and this comes through in some of the lighter moments in the movie.
Desh Premeee
Alright, to be fair this one touches upon independence only at the beginning of the movie. However, the whole “we need to be free” theme influences most of the overall story-line. I think it touches upon the issue of maintaining your own identity as well as having the courage to pinpoint a finger at local tyrants. I suppose whoever came up with the theory believed that there was a bully in every neighborhood/suburb/province who wanted to rule the roost. This movie was all the way back in the early 1980s and was directed by Manmohan Desai. By the way, if you happen to be an Amitabh fan I would advise catching this flick. Imagine that, a young strapping Amitabh, breaking down doors with just a kick and playing the dual role of dad and son.
This one features the patriotic father who gave up sweat, blood and possibly food for the good fight. Now he's a local hero; he can get in the way of warring factions and stop their bickering. If you don't believe me, check out that bizarre scene where he stops a nasty fight between angry folks from various cultures. Much as you will have a good laugh at that, you also feel bad for the guy; after all, this character is espousing peace and harmony. As luck would have it, his son grows up wanting it all. He wants money, riches and a cushy life and doesn't quite care for his dad's ideals. You can see how this will result in a big stand-off between Dad and son later on.
Is it me or is there a similar theme between this and Rang De Basanti? You know, the whole concept of younger generations appreciating and honoring the work of their parents? To this effect, I must warn you that it can get a bit preachy. Which in itself will probably be offset by the funky fight scenes and yes, there are plenty good ones in this movie.
Lagaan
This is another extremely popular movie. It was even nominated for an Academy Award, fancy that. Released in 2001, it was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and stars (surprise, surprise) Amir Khan as well as a number of other noteworthy actors.
To be fair, this was not an independence movie per say; it was more about a small village chasing off their British governers using ... cricket. You play a match and if they lost, they left you alone. If only we could win all wars like that. I am not doing justice to this movie; it was a fun flick even if it had hours of cricket practice thrown in for good measure. The basic story is that the little village kept paying tribute to their local British rulers and the locals were getting antsy about it. Soon it comes to a kind of standoff between the two parties and some wiseguy brings up the idea of playing a cricket match. Hence, the winner decides the fate of tribute/governance. So the movie commences and the local folks strive to learn cricket, albeti with the help of a sympathetic British lady. As you probably guessed, the matches were the climax of the movie.
This one is feels less like a lecture than the other ones. Perhaps it is because the issue involved day to day governance as opposed to the usual 'We the local' vs. “They the other' sort of chanting. Furthermore, the introduction of sports certainly adds to the plot; it adds the humor, the essential feel-good moments and of course, you are less likely to find bloody deaths on either side with this genre. Perhaps the most tiring aspect of the movie was that it was 3+ hours of viewing time. I'd be lying if I said I did not sleep through some of the cricket practice bits. And I've seen this movie more than once. Keeping that in mind, do check it out. It certainly is one of the best Hindi movies about colonial rule.
I know I missed a few from this list. Any suggestions? Which ones are your favorties?