Republic Day 2022: 10 movies to watch as you celebrate the day

Republic Day 2022: 'Shershah' and nine other movies for your January 26 watchlist. (Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

India will celebrate its 73^rd Republic Day on January 26. Republic Day marks the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950.

The Constitution, adopted in 1949, replaced the Government of India Act of 1935 as the country’s governing document. This marked India’s transformation into a republic. India had attained freedom from the British in 1947 after a long and difficult struggle.

Republic Day is celebrated every year with a grand parade in New Delhi which features the tableaux of India’s states. The event is telecast live.

After enjoying the parade, you can watch a movie dedicated to the country.  Here is a list to pick from.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, 2002

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. (Image credit: IMDB)

A list of movies to watch on Republic Day would be incomplete without one about BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution. In 2002, a bilingual feature film on Ambedkar’s life, titled Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, was released. Directed by Jabbar Patel, it stars Malayali actor Mammootty in the titular role. The movie has won three National Film Awards.

Border, 1997

Border 1997. (Image credit: IMDB)

Speak of patriotic movies and the Sunny Deol-starrer is the first one that comes to mind. Set in 1971, Border tells the story of Indian soldiers who fight against a large Pakistani force. The movie includes the soul-stirring song "Sandese Aate Hai".

Purab aur Pachhim, 1970

Purab aur Pachhim, 1970. (Image credit: IMDB)

In this film, Manoj Kumar stars as Bharat, the son of a freedom fighter who goes to England to study and tries to change the western mindset about India.

Lagaan, 2001

Lagaan, 2001. (Image credit: Aamir Khan Productions)

The Ashutosh Gowariker-directed film was India’s official entry to the Oscars in 2002. Starring Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh in lead roles, it revolves around villagers in Central India in 1893 who must play a  cricket match against the British to be exempted from burdensome taxes.

Swades, 2004

Swades, 2004. (Image credit: Ashutosh Gowariker Productions)

In this 2004 movie, also directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Shah Rukh Khan stars as Mohan Bhargav, a non-resident Indian who returns to the country to find the woman who raised him and sets out on a journey to discover where he truly belongs.

Rang De Basanti, 2006

Rang De Basanti, 2006. (Image credit:  Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures)

Rang De Basanti is about  a group youngsters who are cast in docudrama about Indian freedom fighters and how that opportunity turns them into rebels for a cause. The movie has an ensemble cast that includes Aamir Khan, Siddharth, R Madhavan and Soha Ali Khan.

Chak De India, 2007

Chak De India, 2007. (Image credit: Yash Raj Films)

The movie traces the journey of an Indian women’s hockey team from the training stage to a massive world cup victory. Shah Rukh Khan stars as their coach Kabir Khan, the former captain of the Indian men’s hockey team who had to endure ostracism after India lost a world cup match to Pakistan.

Raazi, 2018

Raazi, 2018. (Screengrab from video uploaded on YouTube by Dharma Productions)

Raazi tells the story of a young woman named Sehma Khan, an undercover Indian agent who is married into a Pakistani military family to gather intelligence. The movie, which stars Alia Bhatt in the lead role, is based on the novel Calling Sehmat by Harinder Singh Sikka.

Uri: The Surgical Strike, 2019

Uri: The Surgical Strike, 2019. (Image credit: RSVP Movies)

As the title suggests, the film is based on the retaliatory strike that India carried out on terror launchpads in Pakistan after an Army base in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir was attacked by four militants in 2016. Nineteen Army personnel were killed in the attack in Uri.

Shershah, 2021

Shershah, 2021. (Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

The movie pays a tribute to Captain Vikram Batra, who was martyred during the 1999 Kargil War. The soldier was awarded India’s highest gallantry honour, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously.