Bollywood has produced some truly iconic biopics! One of the most heart-touching biopics for me in recent times was the Sidharth Malhotra-Kiara Advani starrer ‘Shershaah’ based on the inspiring life of Captain Vikram Batra. If you’re looking to watch a biopic soon, have a look at these top 6 Bollywood films that brought real-life heroes’ stories to the silver screen.
1. Neerja
Sonam Kapoor starrer 2016 film ‘Neerja’ directed by Ram Madhvani is based on the story of Neerja Bhanot, who was the head purser on Pan Am Flight 73 in 1986, which was hijacked by terrorists. The courageous Neerja Bhanot sacrificed her life while protecting 359 passengers onboard.
2. Shershaah
Sidharth Malhotra-Kiara Advani starrer 2021 film ‘Shershaah’ directed by Vishnuvardhan is a biographical war film based on the inspiring life of Captain Vikram Batra, who was killed while fighting Pakistani troops during the Kargil conflict of 1999. Captain Batra was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest Indian military decoration, for his brave actions during the war.
3. Sardar Udham
The Vicky Kaushal-starrer 2021 film ‘Sardar Udham’, directed by Shoojit Sircar, is a historical drama based on the life of freedom fighter Udham Singh from Punjab, who was responsible for assassinating Michael O’Dwyer in London to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that took place in Amritsar in 1919.
4. Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
The Ajay Devgn starrer 2020 film ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ directed by Om Raut is about the heroic Tanhaji Malusare, who was a military chieftain in the army of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The film showcases Tanaji’s brave attempts to recapture the Kondhana fortress once it passes on to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
5. M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story
Sushant Singh Rajput starrer 2016 film ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’ directed by Neeraj Panday is based on the life of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The sports drama film documents the story of the former Test, ODI, and T20I captain of the Indian cricket team and his inspiring journey, which began as a ticket collector.
6. Gangubai Kathiawadi
‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ directed by Sanjay Leela Bhandsali is based on the life of Gangubai, whose story was documented in the book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’, written by S. Hussain Zaidi. The film saw Alia Bhatt as the fierce character of a brothel owner in the world of Kamathipura.
These are the movies based on true stories and tell real-life heroes stories.