Beyond the parade, 5 films that portray Independence Day in its true spirit

This Independence Day, we have brought to you a list of films that go beyond the usual celebrations for the day. How many of them have you seen?

Bollywood churns out the highest number of films every year in the world and patriotism is one of the dominating themes here. That keeps the producers and directors on toes is search for the story that can feature patriotism in a unique and interesting ways. Earlier Manoj Kumar and now Akshay Kumar are among the stars who have used the theme in many of their films. But they have rarely shown the Independence Day as the central thread unlike some Hollywood films where the day itself was at the centre of action.

Nandita Das and Aamir Khan in a still from 1947 Earth.

However, there are films which talk about the Independence Day, and we have listed some of them.

Black And White: This Subhash Ghai film is among those rare films that revolve around the Independence Day and not just patriotism. Anurag Singh plays a suicide bomber Numair Qazi who wants to stage an attack during the Independence Day celebrations in the National Capital. He keeps preparing for the day and ultimately realises how strong is India’s social fabric.

Train To Pakistan: Adapted from Khushwant Singh’s novel of the same name, this film traces the changing scenario of a Sikh-dominated village during the partition. Director Pamela Rooks’ film featured a small village named Mano Majra where Juggut Singh and Nooran were in love. It’s a terrific account of how interpersonal relationships changed overnight between communities.

1947 Earth: Aamir Khan, Nandita Das and Rahul Khanna are friends in Lahore right before the partition. Their relationship gets complicated once the British grant freedom to India and Pakistan. It’s a love story set in the backdrop of riots, but it also explains how delicate could be the human psyche. It was directed by Deepa Mehta.

Midnight’s Children: Another Deepa Mehta film that was based on Salman Rushdie’s critically acclaimed book, Midnight’s Children is very complex in its structure, but simple in its message. An ambitious project, Midnight’s Children brought a group of terrific actors together to portray the pain of the partition and what happens when India and Pakistan get their own Independence Days. The story was told from Saleem Sinai’s perspective who was born at the stroke of midnight when India attained its independence.