Gone are the days when Indian films were known for Bollywood’s colorful dance sequences shot in rustic villages or fancy swiss mountains. Indian cinema is now as diverse as the country it represents and just as grand in its storytelling.
And a key pattern emerges from this new wave of Indian cinema – the fact that its plots are inspired by, or dedicated to, real-life heroes. Don’t believe me? Here is a list of 11 blockbuster Indian films based on the equally blockbuster lives of real-life Indians.
Happy binging!
11. Border
An all-time blockbuster that took an opening of over Rs 1 crore 25 years back, Border was easily one of the biggest multi-starrers to have hit the screens in 1997. Based on the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Border was designed as an epic affair with nearly three hours running duration. This movie is a complete packaged entertainer with fiery dialogues, dramatic scenes, and stylish action sequences with powerful performances thrown in.
Director: Ramesh Sippy
10. Gully Boy
The 2019 movie was loosely based on the lives of Mumbai rappers Divine and Naezy and went on to become India’s nomination to the Oscars that year. It was only the fourth Indian film to be nominated in the category after 1957 hit Mother India, Salaam Bombay in 1989, and Lagaan in 2002.
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Also, read: How A Diwali Party At Big B’s Bungalow Changed This Actor’s Destiny
9. Special 26
Released when the OTT era was dawning upon us, Special 26 was as big a hit on the big screen as it was on the smaller one. What’s more, this movie is based on Mumbai’s real-life Opera House heist in 1987.
Director: Neeraj Pandey
8. Guru
The film ‘Guru’ was loosely based on the life of business mogul Dhirubhai Ambani. Released in 2007, it was declared a hit in India and a blockbuster in the US. Guru, which completes 15 years of release on 12 January, is a classic underdog tale about one man’s aspirations.
Director: Mani Ratnam
7. Uri: The Surgical Strike
Released in the same year as Oscar-nominated Gully Boy, Uri was, in fact, the biggest hit of 2019 at the box office. It was based on a real-life attack by armed militants on an army base near the town of Uri in Jammu & Kashmir on September 18, 2016, and the ensuing surgical strike by the Indian army.
Director: Aditya Dhar
6. Gangs of Wasseypur Franchise:
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur has become the only Indian film to feature in The Guardian’s list of 100 Best Films of the 21st century. Released in 2012, the two-part film series mainly drew its story from the real-life gang wars that took place in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, and soon earned itself cult status.
Director: Anurag Kashyap
5. Gangubai Kathiawadi:
With a female-centric plot and taboo topic at its heart, Gangubai Kathiawadi broke records to join Bollywood’s prestigious 100 crore club. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali production also got an 8-min standing ovation at the Berlin Film Festival for its fantastic production and writing. It was loosely based on the life of Gangubai Kothewali, an Indian social activist, prostitute, and madam of a brothel in the Kamathipura area of Mumbai during the 1960s.
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Also, read: Who Was Gangubai Kathiawadi In Real Life?
4. KGF Franchise:
After the surprising success of Chapter 1 in 2018, KGF: Chapter 2 broke all records this year by crossing the 1000-crore mark in worldwide collections. It was only the fourth Indian film ever to do so. The KGF franchise is said to be based on the life of Thangam, a notorious criminal from Karnataka, who was shot dead in a police encounter in 1997.
Director: Prashanth Neel
3. Dangal:
The Amir Khan starrer’s 990 crore box office bonanza in China – in addition to its 100 crore club status back home – remains a massive feat in Bollywood to date. It tells the true story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former amateur wrestler who, having been denied the chance to become an international champion, trains his daughters in wrestling to vicariously fulfill his dream.
Director: Nitesh Tiwari
2. Baahubali Franchise:
The Baahubali franchise rocked Indian cinema in the same way that Star Wars rocked Hollywood 40 years ago. A member of the 1000-crore club, it opened up the possibilities for epic fantasy franchises for the very first time in India. Even though both parts of Baahubali are essentially works of fiction, director SS Rajamouli has stitched several patches from the history of India in his magnum opus. For instance, the kingdom of Mahishmati and the Jain king Bahubali are part of recorded Indian history.
Director: SS Rajamouli
1. RRR:
The latest addition to the prestigious 1000 crore club was SS Rajamouli’s RRR, a period drama, which translates as “Rise, Roar, Revolt” and is set during the Indian freedom struggle. According to the director, RRR heavily fictionalizes the lives of two freedom fighters and revolutionaries in the 1920s – Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem.
Director: SS Rajamouli
Have you watched all of them?