IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 14%
Directed by: Randeep Hooda
Cast: Randeep Hooda, Ankita Lokhande, Mark Bennington, Rajesh Khera
Movie duration: 2 hours 58 minutes

Synopsis: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Randeep Hooda) is a revolutionary who is inspired by figures like Shivaji Maharaj and Mazzini. To fight against the injustices, Savarkar erects a secret society called the Abhinava Bharat Society. He joins other revolutionaries over the years and aids in India’s freedom struggle but is later imprisoned in Andamans. Upon his release, he advocated for political prisoners and urged Hindus to fight for a united India. He also coined the term, Hindutva.

Why it’s great: It takes you through a chapter of India’s history and looks at the revolutionary figure who played a role in India’s independence struggle.

IMDb rating: 4.7
Directed by: Kannan Iyer
Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Emraan Hashmi, Abhay Verma, Sparsh Srivastava
Movie duration: 2 hours 13 minutes

Synopsis: Usha Mehta (Sara Ali Khan), a young girl starts an underground radio station during the Quit India movement to spread awareness about the unity, strength, and resilience that Indians must continue to have to fight the Britishers.

Why it’s great: The film speaks of an unsung hero and an untold chapter from Indian history.

IMDb rating: 5.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 17%
Directed by: Anil Sharma
Cast: Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Utkarsh Sharma, Simrat Kaur, Luv Sinha
Movie duration: 2 hours 50 minutes

Synopsis: When Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) vanishes during a skirmish and is thought to have been captured in Pakistan, his son Charanjeet aka Jeetey (Utkarsh Sharma) embarks on a mission to rescue him. They both find themselves trapped in a dangerous maze from which they must escape at all costs.

Why it’s great: It is an ode to the hit 2001 Gadar Ek Prem Katha. While serving nostalgia at its best, this movie also evokes patriotism with just the right dose of action.

IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 38%
Directed by: Meghna Gulzar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Mohammad Zeeshan
Movie duration: 2 hours 28 minutes

Synopsis: Sam Manekshaw (Vicky Kaushal) joined the Indian Military Academy as a cadet in 1934. He swiftly moved up in the ranks after displaying great leadership skills in several skirmishes that went on from 1947 to 1971. He was bestowed with the title of field marshal by the Indira Gandhi government in 1973 for his impeccable leadership during wartime.

Why it’s great: It’s a biographical war film that encapsulates the life and journey of India’s first field marshal, Sam Manekshaw.

IMDb rating: 4.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 10%
Directed by: Sarvesh Mewara
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Anshul Chauhan, Varun Mitra, Ashish Vidyarthi
Movie duration: 1 hour 52 minutes

Synopsis: Indian Air Force officer Tejas Gill (Kangana Ranaut) embarks on a high-risk mission to rescue an Indian spy from Pakistan. As she confronts the enemies in her path, she also grapples with the haunting memories of her past.

Why it’s great: The film takes inspiration from India’s first female fighter pilot.

IMDb rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
Directed by: Vishnu Vardhan
Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani, Manmeet Kaur, Shiv Pandit, Shataf Figar
Movie duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Synopsis: Vikram Batra (Sidharth Malhotra) is a fearless kid who grows up desirous of joining the Indian Army. He finds his calling and clears the Combined Defence Services examination. Upon joining the battalion, he slowly rises through the ranks and becomes Captain. During the Kargil War of 1999, Batra showed immense courage in chasing the Pakistani soldiers out of Indian territory. However, he could not survive the war. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his unflinching bravery.

Why it’s great: It tells the real-life story of Vikram Batra, his journey in the Indian Army and his heart-breaking love story.

IMDb rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
Directed by: Aditya Dhar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Mohit Raina, Kirti Kulhari, Swaroop Sampat
Movie duration: 2 hours 18 minutes

Synopsis: Major Vihaan Singh Shergill (Vicky Kaushal) of the Indian Army spearheads a covert operation targeting the militants responsible for the 2016 attack on a base in Uri, Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of numerous soldiers.

Why it’s great: It’s a fictionised retelling of the actual surgical strikes that were carried out by the Indian Army in 2016 after a terrorist attack on the army base.  Besides that, the stunning cinematography and VFX make it an absolute treat to watch.

IMDb rating: 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
Directed by: Anurag Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Mir Sarwar, Vikram Kochhar
Movie duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Synopsis: Ishar Singh (Akshay Kumar), a Havildar in the Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army commands 21 Sikh soldiers in a battle against 10,000 Pashtun invaders. The British Parliament pays tribute to the fallen with a two-minute silence and bestows the British Order of Merit posthumously, the highest gallantry award available to an Indian soldier.

Why it’s great: It’s based on the Battle of Saragarhi which was fought in 1897. Soulful songs add to the intensely violent film.

IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Directed by: Meghana Gulzar
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Soni Razdan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Amruta Khanvilkar
Movie duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Synopsis: Sehmat Khan (Alia Bhatt) is a 20-year-old student at the University of Delhi. Following a call from her terminally ill father (Rajit Kapur), who is an Indian intelligence agent posing as a Pakistani informant, Sehmat goes back home. She enlists in RAW and works as a spy for India, achieving this by marrying the son of a Pakistani military officer. What ensues is a total act of grit, valour, and determination.

Why it’s great: This is another story of an unsung hero who fought for India in ways one cannot even imagine. In addition to the gritty storyline, mellifluous songs on patriotism added to the movie’s charm.

IMDb rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Directed by: Raja Krishna Menon
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur, Purab Koli, Kumud Mishra
Movie duration: 2 hours 5 minutes

Synopsis: Ranjit Katyal (Akshay Kumar), an Indian businessman based out of Kuwait calls himself a Kuwaiti and is derisive towards Indians. However, he had a change of heart when Kuwait was invaded by Iraq in 1990 under Saddam Hussein’s rule. He along with other Indians who were struck in Kuwait carried out the evacuation of Indians. Katyal, who believed that the Indian government did nothing for Indians felt remorseful of his thoughts and actions.

Why it’s great: The film’s cinematography and the climax are too good to be missed.

IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Directed by: Neeraj Pandey
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Deepal Shaw
Movie duration: 2 hours 3 minutes

Synopsis: Prakash Rathod (Anupam Kher), a retired police commissioner, reflects on the most memorable case of his career, where an ordinary citizen (Naseeruddin Shah) alerted him to a bomb scare in Mumbai.

Why it’s great: The film was inspired by the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings. In fact, the incidents that followed the bombings were used as details in the plot. The Hollywood film, A Common Man starring Ben Kingsley was a remake of A Wednesday.

IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Directed by: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Cast: Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Siddharth, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi, Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher
Movie duration: 2 hours 37 minutes

Synopsis: Sue McKinley (Alice Patten), a young British filmmaker comes to India to make a documentary on Indian revolutionaries after reading her grandfather’s diary (who served in the British Army in India). She chooses a group of students from Delhi University to play Indian freedom fighters in her film, and unknowingly ignites their patriotism in the process of filmmaking. The emotional and psychological journey transforms them into passionate rebels and they stand up to the Indian government for their friend, Late Flight Lt. Ajay Rathod who was blamed for a plane crash.

Why it’s good: The movie dealt with political issues and showed the strong friendship between the characters in a mature way.

IMDb rating: 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Directed by: Shyam Benegal
Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Divya Dutta, Rajit Kapur, Arif Zakaria, Pankaj Berry, Kubhushan Kharbanda
Movie duration: 3 hours 28 minutes

Synopsis: After stepping down from his position as president of the Indian National Congress, Shubhash Chandra Bose (Sachin Khedekar) plays a crucial role in India’s freedom struggle during World War II.

Why it’s great: The film garnered critical acclaim and awards at various film festivals. It also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.

IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Directed by: Rajkumar Santoshi
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Amrita Rao, Raj Babbar, Sushant Singh
Movie duration: 2 hours 3 minutes

Synopsis: Born in India, then ruled by the Britishers, Bhagat Singh (Ajay Devgn) is a fearless child who grows to witness many atrocities in his childhood and matures into one of the country’s most fearless freedom fighters.

Why it’s great: The film portrayed the life and times of Shaheed Bhagat Singh admirably. The film won two National Film Awards – Best Feature Film in Hindi and Best Actor for Devgn.

IMDb rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Directed by: J.P Dutta
Cast: Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Akshaye Khanna, Pooja Bhatt
Movie duration: 2 hours 56 minutes

Synopsis: Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri (Sunny Deol) along with Lieutenant Dharamvir Singh Bhan (Akshaye Khanna) and 120 other soldiers defend their post from Pakistan all night until they receive assistance from the Indian Air Force the next morning.

Why it’s great: The film is based on the 1971 Battle of Longewala and captures the patriotic sentiment of our soldiers.