India is celebrating its 80th Independence Day on August 15, 2026, marking 79 completed years since the country became independent in 1947. On this special occasion, patriotic films offer a powerful way to revisit the sacrifices, struggles and determination behind India’s freedom movement. From Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh to Rani Lakshmibai and Udham Singh, these movies bring remarkable chapters of history to the screen.
1. Gandhi (1982)
This film is directed by Richard Attenborough. It is inspired from the life of Mahatma Gandhi, and in this movie, the character of Mahatma Gandhi is played by Ben Kingsley. Rohini Hattangadi plays the role of Kasturba Gandhi, while Roshan Seth plays Jawaharlal Nehru.
2. The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)
Rajkumar Santoshi’s The Legend of Bhagat Singh is a biopic of a revolutionary named Bhagat Singh. Ajay Devgn, Sushant Singh, and Amrita Rao are the lead cast of the movie who have played the roles of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and other revolutionaries respectively. The biographical drama follows Singh’s transformation into a revolutionary, his fight against British rule, his association with fellow revolutionaries and his final sacrifice.
3. Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005)
The movie, which is directed by Ketan Mehta, has seen Aamir Khan playing Mangal Pandey, Toby Stephens playing Captain William Gordon, Rani Mukerji playing Heera, and Ameesha Patel playing Jwala. The film, which is set against the backdrop of events in 1857, tells about the struggle by fierce freedom fighter Mangal Pandey against British East India Company.
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4. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2004)
In the war biographical drama directed by Shyam Benegal, Sachin Khedekar plays Subhas Chandra Bose, Jisshu Sengupta plays Sisir Bose, and Rajit Kapur plays Abid Hasan. This movie tells the story of how Subhas Chandra Bose escaped the surveillance of the British and created the Azad Hind Fauj.
5. Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019)
Manikarnika is a historical movie in which Kangana Ranaut plays the character of Rani Lakshmibai. Rani Lakshmibai is an prominent female queen from the period of 1857 revolt. Jisshu Sengupta and Atul Kulkarni play the roles of Gangadhar Rao and Tatya Tope respectively.
6. Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (2024)
The movie was both written and directed by Randeep Hooda himself, who portrayed the character of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in this biography. While Ankita Lokhande is the one who portrayed the character of Yamuna Bai, Amit Sial played the role of Babarao Savarkar. The film traces Savarkar’s life and his involvement in India’s freedom struggle, including his revolutionary activities and years of imprisonment.
7. Sardar Udham (2021)
Vicky Kaushal plays the role of revolutionary Udham Singh in Shoojit Sircar’s Udham, while Shaun Scott plays the character of Michael O’Dwyer, and Amol Parashar plays Bhagat Singh. The movie is all about the journey of freedom fighter Udham Singh in order to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.