Happy Republic Day – Bollywood scenes which evoke patriotism and give us goosebumps

On the occasion of 68th Republic Day today, we decided to pick out some best scenes from our Bollywood films which evoke the feeling of patriotism in the viewers.Our films have boasted numerous patriotic songs, dialogues and given us Desh bhakt heroes like Manoj Kumar to Akshay Kumar.

Shah Rukh Khan in Swades (2004): The movie in itself is an ode to every fellow Indian who has settled abroad, has pre-conceived notions about his country and how he realises his nation’s true value and his love for the motherland.This underrated gem by Ashutosh Gowariker had SRK in the role of Indian who works as a project manager at NASA. When Mohan (Khan) returns to his village Charanpur for a short while, he faces the harsh realities of rural India. After his holiday gets over, Mohan returns to the US where has flashbacks of his time in India and wishes to return. This entire throwback patch beautifully sums up Mohan’s love for his country, to which even he was oblivious to.

It won’t be wrong to term Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra’s film a modern day classic. Mehra’s young patriotic brigade consisted of Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, Alice Patten and Soha Ali Khan and R Madhavan. The college going students day-to-day life clubbed with flashbacks of Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh’s struggle for independence struck the right chord with the audience. In the climax scene, the key characters (Aamir, Siddharth, Kunal, Sharman, Atul) decide that they must emulate the early freedom fighters and resort to violence to achieve justice. They forcibly take over the All India Radio station premises and get killed by police commandos in the process. The entire sequence of the Gen X fighting against corruption, political adversaries and how they sacrifice their lives for their voices to be heard – was every bit patriotic!

Shimit Amin brought one of the most discussed subjects onscreen – sports. SRK was seen in the role of a coach to the women’s Hockey team, how he brings the rowdy players together and make them win the World Championship – Chak De! was pitch perfect. One of the most powerful scenes in the film when the women players introduce them from respective states they are playing. Here, Khan makes it clear and simple that he is the coach of the Indian Hockey team and needs players to play for their country first and themselves next!

India is a “land of snake charmers” – In the film, this statement by a firang irks Akshay Kumar at a party, who gives a lowdown to the foreigners what makes India the great nation it is. Katrina Kaif translates Akki’s Hindi speech in English, which talks about the achievements of the 5000-year-old Indian civilisation.

“Mr PringIe, he’d Iike to teII you something about India…

When we greet one another, we foId our hands in namastey because we beIieve that God resides in the heart of every human being. We come from a nation where we aIIow a Iady of CathoIic origin to step aside for a Sikh to be sworn in as Prime Minister to a MusIim President to govern a nation of over 80 percent Hindus. It may aIso interest you to know that many of the origins to your words come from Sanskrit. For exampIe, maatr becomes mother, bhratr becomes brother, giamiti becomes geometry, trikonmiti becomes trigonometry. We have 5600 newspapers magazines in over twenty-one different Languages with a combined readership of over 120 miIIion. We have reached the moon and back, but yet you people still feel that we’ve onIy reached as far as the Indian rope trick. We are the third largest pool in the word of doctors, engineers and scientists. Maybe your grandfather didn’t teII you that we have the third Iargest army in the worId. And even then, I foId my hands in humiIity before you because we don’t beIieve we are above or beneath any individuaI. And…Namastey!”

A Hindu simpleton Pawan aka Bajrangi (Salman) helping a mute Pakistani girl Munni (Harshali) to reunite with her parents across the border – the film dealt with the issue of religion and partition with utmost delicacy. Towards the end, we see Bajrangi imprisoned in the Pak jail. Then Nawab (Nawazuddin) uploads a video which goes viral both in India and Pakistan, pleading for Bajrangi’s release. Responding to the same, thousands of Pakistanis and Indians gather at Narowal Check Post, where Bajrangi is to return to India. As Bajrangi crosses the border, Munni runs towards the fence and utters her first words as Mama (for Pavan). The humanitarian angle with patriotism won millions of hearts.

The film scripted a new definition of patriotism. Based on the true life story of Ranjit Katyal (essayed by Akshay), the film covered the largest human evacuation in the history of mankind – in 1990 from Kuwait. The struggle of making it to the end, reaching one’s nation safely, valuing its importance in their lives – Airlift was a job well executed. In the last scene, the Indians arrive in Jordan and Air India and Indian Airlines supplies the planes and pilots to fly them back. Here when the National Flag is being hosted on the rooftop of the airport, and the Indians salute Ranjit as they board the planes – will certainly bestow you with a proud feeling.

Based on the real-life story of Mahavir Phogat and his two wrestlers daughters – Geeta and Babita Phogat, Aamir Khan’s Dangal broke all the records on the ticket window and was loved by the masses. In the film, when Fatima (essaying Geeta’s role) wins the final match, National Anthem – Jana Gana Mana – is played. What can be a bigger proof, in real life, the audiences stood in the theatres to pay their respects! This speaks volumes about what we, the Indians, feel about our country and the power our National Anthem has!

The feeling of patriotism is ingrained in every Indian. There is no parameter to define how deeply one feels his/her nation and motherland.

‘Happy Republic Day From  The Jaipur Explore Team’