A NATION'S IMPRINT ON CELLULOID

Every Independence Day, the tricolour finds its place in songs, speeches and streets. While we all hum along to the national anthem or feel a lump in our throat watching school kids perform a skit on freedom fighters, there's another powerful storyteller that has helped shape how we see patriotism: Indian cinema.

- SURBHI GARG

Every Independence Day, the tricolour finds its place in songs, speeches and streets. While we all hum along to the national anthem or feel a lump in our throat watching school kids perform a skit on freedom fighters, there's another powerful storyteller that has helped shape how we see patriotism: Indian cinema. For decades, Bollywood wore patriotism on its sleeve - often loud, sometimes subtle, but always emotionally stirring. From the black-and-white era of Nehruvian idealism to today's more layered and even critical takes, filmmakers have constantly reimagined what 'freedom' really means. And not all of them did it through battlefield stories. Let's go behind the lens and meet a few of these directors who gave us more than just flag-waving. They made us think, question, remember and sometimes, cry.

LAGAAN (2001): A REVOLUTION IN WHITES Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan might not feature soldiers or spies. However, very few films have captured the essence of resistance and unity so well. Set in a dusty village under British rule, it's about a ragtag cricket team trying to overcome colonial injustice. It gave us patriotism in an unexpected way - a cricket match, under the subject of self-respect, courage and community. Yet its impact was not simply sporting; it allowed its audience to believe that the powerless can fight back, that freedom is a slow, obstinate game of will.