'The Sabarmati Report' to 'Airlift', films based on real-life incidents

'The Sabarmati Report' to 'Airlift', films based on real-life incidents

Indian cinema has consistently drawn inspiration from real-life events, bringing historical and contemporary stories to life on the big screen. Here are some of the films based on real-life events that will make you vouch for courageous men and women of India who created history with their nerves of steel.

Airlift (2016), starring Nimrat Kaur and Akshay Kumar, tells the real story of the biggest civilian evacuation in history during the 1990 Kuwait crisis. The film, which was directed by Raja Krishna Menon, centres on the actions of Indian businessman Ranjit Katyal (Kumar), who was instrumental in the evacuation of more than 170,000 Indians from war-torn Kuwait.

Neerja (2016), starring Sonam Kapoor as Neerja, centres on a flight attendant who boards Pan Am Flight 73, which is taken over by terrorists. She exerts every effort to prevent the terrorists from harming the passengers. Neerja was shot three times by a terrorist while attempting to protect three small children from the gunshots after she decided to let the passengers leave first. Based on a true story, the movie left viewers in awe of Neerja Bhanot's bravery and steely resolve.

URI: The Surgical Strike (2019) is based on the Indian Army's surgical strike targeting terrorist launch sites across Pakistan's Line of Control (LoC) in the wake of the 2016 Uri incident, the military drama was directed by Aditya Dhar. Vicky Kaushal plays the lead in the movie, which honours the valour of the soldiers who participated in the operation by showing the meticulous preparation and execution of the strike. It received praise from critics for its realistic depiction of the bravery of the military services and was a huge box office success.

Kesari (2019)
directed by Anurag Singh, 21 Sikh soldiers from the British Indian Army faced 10,000 Afghan invaders in the Battle of Saragarhi in 1897. The main character, played by Akshay Kumar, is Havildar Ishar Singh, who made military history for his valour in defending a remote station. The movie honours these warriors' history and their bravery and sacrifice.

The events surrounding the Gujarat riots of 2002 will be highlighted in the upcoming movie, The Sabarmati Report. Directed by Dheeraj Sarna, this film will explore the inquiry and aftermath of the contentious violence from the viewpoint of a journalist. It will be released on November 15, 2024. Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna, and Ridhi Dogra play journalists in The Sabarmati Report.