India Pakistan War Movies: Indus and Partition has been a complicated issue of India and Pakistan since the 1947 break up. War and military operation have occurred several times between the two countries. These events have not only touched real lives, but have also inspired dozens of Bollywood filmmakers to come up with great stories.
Bollywood has made many movies, which depict Indian soldiers in battles, and the emotional loss of war. These movies are usually based on the theme of patriotism; sacrifice and hope for peace. In this article, we will discuss some of the most popular and woven Bollywood films around the India-Pakistan war topic.
Top India Pakistan War Movies
1. Border (1997)
Director: J.P. Dutta
Main Cast: Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Jackie Shroff
Border among the various Indian war cinema movies is one of the best. It is grounded on the Battle of Longewala during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The film depicts a brave fight of a little number of Indian soldiers against a large Pakistani army. But why such a massive hit this film was; because it had emotional story, strong performances so powerful that touch the audience and patriotic songs like “Sandese Aate Hain”. This game is still the favorite of many Indians and it is played during national holidays.
2. Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)
Director: Aditya Dhar
Main Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal
Uri is based on an actual surgical strike launched between December 16 – 17, 2016 by the Indian Army in response to a terror attack on 18 September 2016 in Uri (Jammu and Kashmir). The film demonstrates the planning and execution of secret assignment.
Vicky Kaushal’s performance was widely appreciated, and the dialogue “How’s the Josh?” became a popular phrase across the country. The film was a blockbuster and made Indians feel proud of their soldiers.
3. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) & Gadar 2 (2023)
Director: Anil Sharma
Main Cast (both parts): Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel
The Gadar films are a combination of patriotism, romance and action. The first film takes place during Partition of India and tells the love story between the Indian man and Pakistani woman. A sequel, Gadar 2 continues the story and happens during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
The cowardice of regular people in times of war and the suffering from political strife is a subject of both movies. The character Tara Singh made his mark immortal for his powerful on-screen and dialoguette.
4. Raazi (2018)
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Main Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Jaideep Ahlawat
Raazi is a story based on a true one. It is about a kid Indian woman who ends up marrying a Pakistani army officer, and becomes a spy for India in the war of 1971. Alia Bhatt was Sehmat, who collects secret information for the Indian Army. The film is not a movie about battle scenes but an approach to the silent sacrifices made by people who work behind the scenes. It was the success both critical and commercial.
5. The Ghazi Attack (2017)
Director: Sankalp Reddy
Main Cast: Rana Daggubati, Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni
The Ghazi Attack is India’s first film on underwater warfare. It is fiction based on the enigmatic sinking of Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi in the 1971 war. The film tells about an Indian submarine and its crew that challenged its all to protect the country.
The intense performances and gripping story made it one of the most unique war films in India.
6. Bhuj: The Pride of India (2021)
Director: Abhishek Dudhaiya
Main Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Nora Fatehi
This film is based on The real life of the Bhuj air base during the war Indo-Pak war. The runway was destroyed during airstrikes from Pakistan and the local villagers (women especially) facilitated the quick eventual reconstruction of the runway by the Indian Air Force.
Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik was played by the actor, Ajay Devgn. The unity and courage of the civil and military population in crisis is revealed by the film.
7. Shershaah (2021)
Director: Vishnuvardhan
Main Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani
Though indirectly based on the India-Pakistan war of 1971, Shershaah is a war movie that describes the Kargil conflict of 1999. Captain Vikram Batra was the recipient of the Param Vir Chakra and is the subject of this biopic.
Sidharth Malhotra’s performance won hearts, and the film became one of the most-watched patriotic films on OTT platforms.
8. Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999)
Director: Veeru Devgan
Main Cast: Ajay Devgn (dual role), Amitabh Bachchan, Sushmita Sen
This film is the story of separated brothers during partition. One is a Pakistani soldier and the other Indian Army. The movie circulates the idea of national unity and tragedy of the fission of families within the borders of political countries.
The Common Themes in These Films
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Patriotism: All these films show deep love for the country.
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Sacrifice: Soldiers and sometimes civilians sacrifice their lives for the nation.
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Real Events: Many of these stories are inspired by true events or real people.
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Message of Peace: Some films also promote peace between the two nations, reminding viewers of the cost of war.
Final Thoughts
Bollywood has always been a fruition ground to demonstrate national pride and essential historical movements and human feelings. India-Pakistan war films entertain and educate the younger people regarding what bravery, loss, and are costly for freedom.
Whether it’s a real-life story like Uri or an emotional drama like Raazi, these movies have made a lasting impression on Indian cinema and its viewers.
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