This watchlist of true stories of courage will inspire you this Republic Day
There’s history and humanity
Every year on January 26, we wake up to the sound of the annual Republic Day parade playing on our parents’ television screens. Patriotic forwards flood our WhatsApp groups. And as we watch the tricolour unfurl in schools, colleges, and housing societies, a familiar sense of pride settles in. Children perform skits; one dressed as Mahatma Gandhi, another as Dr B.R. Ambedkar, while someone else delivers a halting, memorised monologue on the greatness of India. However simplistic, these rituals serve as an annual reminder of the ideals this nation was founded on and the visionary leaders who shaped its destiny.
But for all the celebrated names and defining moments in our history, there are just as many lesser-known stories of valour and sacrifice (especially of those who protected and served the nation) that have shaped the republic we live in today. And cinema offers one of the quickest (and most stirring) ways to learn more about them. From Sehmat’s dangerous undercover life in Raazi, to Captain Vikram Batra’s bravery during the Kargil War in Shershaah, and IAF Squadron Leader Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya’s mysterious disappearance while on duty in Sky Force, in recent years, the movies have paid high-octane tribute to these unsung heroes.
So this Republic Day long weekend (check this list of all long weekends in 2026), if you need a great watch that’s steeped in the spirit of the day, here’s a line-up of eight films that will hit the spot. Between buying the tricolour and attending the building’s flag hoisting function, press play on these stories of people who gave everything they had—and sometimes their lives too—for this beloved country of ours.
8 films you can add to your Republic Day watchlist
120 Bahadur
We have all been in situations where the odds are stacked against us. When walking away feels easier. But somewhere deep inside, we know that standing firm and facing the challenges is the right decision.
120 Bahadur (2025) reflects this sentiment, but the stakes are national-security-level. The gritty war drama brings one of India’s most heroic-yet-forgotten stories to life—the Battle of Rezang La during the 1962 Indo-China war. In freezing temperatures, 120 soldiers of the 13 Kumaon Regiment stood their ground against approximately 5000 armed Chinese troops, to defend the Rezang La pass, and eventually the Chushul Airbase in Ladakh. Directed by Razneesh Ghai with Farhan Akhtar in the lead role as the commanding officer, Major Shaitan Singh, the film blends battlefield action with a sensitive portrayal of a soldier’s life.
The film is a quiet homage to the resilience of the soldiers who know real courage isn’t always about winning, but sometimes about refusing to back down. You’re bound to feel a surge of motivation as the dialogue “Hum peechhe nahi hatenge (We will not back off)” reverberates off the screen.
Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh
We have read about it. We have seen it in movies. Some of us may have even visited the site of the atrocity. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre is one of the darkest chapters in Indian history.
But Kesari Chapter 2 (2025) brings forth a lesser-known story born from that tragedy, a courtroom battle between Sir C. Sankaran Nair and the British crown. Akshay Kumar plays the role of Nair, a lawyer and statesman who refused to let the world forget the horrors of Jallianwala Bagh, fighting a legal war against British officials responsible for the massacre. Ananya Panday plays Dilreet Gill, a young lawyer who fights alongside Nair, while R Madhavan essays opposing counsel Neville McKinley.
Based on The Case that Shook the Empire by author and Nair’s great grandson Raghu Palat and veteran journalist Pushpa Palat, the courtroom drama leans into the theatrics typical of Bollywood legal dramas, but still delivers its point with conviction: that the truth is always worth fighting tooth and nail for.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero (2025) is inspired by a real-life operation to eliminate Ghazi Baba, the mastermind behind the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. The film sees Emraan Hashmi step adeptly into the shoes of Border Security Force (BSF) officer Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey, who led a daring two-year covert mission in Kashmir to track down the militant.
Directed by Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar, Ground Zero goes beyond portraying the intensity of counter-terror operations to explore the lived realities of both officers and civilians in conflict zones. It presents a deeper look at the physical dangers and moral dilemmas that those stationed at the border routinely navigate, inviting us to view the operation through a more human lens.
Interestingly, the film became the first in 38 years to have a red carpet premiere in Srinagar.
Amaran
Amaran (2024) is a Tamil war drama and also a love story. The film follows the life of Major Mukund Varadaraj, an Indian Army officer who sacrificed his life during a 2014 counter-terrorism operation in Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir.
As his wife, Indhu Rebecca Varghese, receives his posthumous Ashoka Chakra (India’s highest peacetime gallantry award), she reflects on his legacy, recounting his bravery as well as their deep love. Directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, and starring Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi in career-defining performances, Amaran balances intense military action with heartfelt family moments.
When soldiers risk their lives, it is not only their sacrifice, but also their family’s, and this film stands as a moving testament to that fact.
Azadi
Have you ever questioned the existence of true freedom in India? Or argued that widespread corruption and social inequality mean we aren’t really free? This 13-minute musical short film may adjust your perspective.
Written and directed by Anshul Vijayvargiya, Azadi (2023) opens with four friends debating the problems of modern India and what freedom truly means. Suddenly, the three who are cynical and disillusioned, are transported into the past, where freedom fighters like Mangal Pandey, Rani Lakshmibai and Chandra Shekhar Azad, risk their lives to fight the British.
With music by Siddharth Kasyap, evocative vocals by Mohit Chauhan and powerful VFX, the film acknowledges that real problems exist today. But it argues that recognising how hard-won our freedoms are can temper cynicism and perhaps inspire us to change what we can.
Pippa
Directed by Raja Krishna Menon, Pippa didn’t attract many eyeballs when it was released in 2023 (save for Ishaan Khatter’s dance moves in the song Main Parwana), and got mixed reviews. But the story it aimed to spotlight remains an important one.
A patriotic war drama inspired by Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta’s memoir The Burning Chaffees, it revisits the events of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, focusing on the Battle of Garibpur and India’s role in the liberation of Bangladesh. Beyond its tank warfare set pieces, the film traces the coming-of-age of its protagonist as he learns to tame his rebellious spirit without losing his purpose. Khatter, who plays Brigadier Mehta (nicknamed ‘Pippa’ after the PT-76 tank he commanded) won the Critics’ Choice Best Actor award in 2024 for his nuanced portrayal.
If you are in the mood for a film about history and country, but also the inner life of a soldier, Pippa may be the one for you.
The Ghazi Attack
Did you know that the Indian Navy fought its first-ever underwater battle during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War? The Ghazi Attack (2017) tells of this largely forgotten episode in India’s military history.
Directed by Sankalp Reddy, the film unfolds almost entirely inside a submarine. Be prepared for edge-of-your-seat tension as Lieutenant Commander Arjun Varma (Rana Daggubati) and his seasoned superior, Captain Ran Vijay Singh (Kay Kay Menon), race against time to stop the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi from attacking India’s aircraft carrier. The claustrophobic setting, the sharp sound design, and high-stakes plot together create nonstop suspense. There’s no melodrama here, no flashy fight scenes—only strategy and split-second decisions.
Eight years after its release, this nail-biting drama (which won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu) is still one of the finest patriotic thrillers in Indian cinema.
Good Shot
Good Shot (2021) is another short film that lives in the mind long after the credits roll.
We hear about military operations and see high-risk war situations on screen, but the psychological and emotional realities of people living in conflict zones is harder to grasp. Good Shot tries to close that gap. During a military encounter, a young Kashmiri militant refuses to surrender despite being surrounded by the army. As tensions escalate, the standoff takes a deeply human turn when his mother is brought in to negotiate his surrender.
Directed by Shahnawaz Baqal, the 10-minute short turns a high-stakes situation into an emotional contemplation on duty, morality and impossible choices. Inspired by real-life events, and developed in collaboration with the Indian Army, the film roots for peace in Kashmir. It is the kind of watch that makes you pause and think about the humans behind the headlines.
