Patriotism inside Indian Cinema.

 For just about any self-respecting nation, patriotism of its citizens is its heart-beat. If it is there, not merely may be the nation's continued existence across centuries and millennia guaranteed, but is progressive evolution is also ensured. It if isn't there, the nation suffers decline, debility and eventual doom.

India is fondly called 'Bharati' by its people. The name harks back again to its epic past, whose beginnings have defied determination. Hence, India evokes a feeling of timelessness. Needless to say, India has been changing perpetually from the time its hoary antiquity. It has also suffered such vicissitudes of history as have pushed some other ancient nations and civilizations into extinction. How then has India faced all these internal changes and external assaults, and yet managed to stay alive as an energetic and ascendant nation in the 21st century? The answer is: Patriotism - the most popular emotion and self-awareness that unites our people regardless of the unmatched diversity they exhibit.

As an art form that strikes the chords of both emotion and intellect, the ability of cinema is unmatched. Naturally, Indian cinema has contributed immensely to the cultivation with this uniting and uplifting feeling of nationalism. Patriotic films, as a special and much-admired genre of Indian cinema, experienced a significant impact on our people, cutting across religious, regional, linguistic and economic identities. Moreover, they've also proved their unsurpassed power of communicating both to educated and illiterate masses.

For some Indians, cinema may be the enduring supply of the image of these nation as a vast and diverse land bound by the Himalayas in the north, surrounded by oceans on three sides, girdled by sacred rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna and Godavari, and blessed with captivating natural beauty and rich resources. For them it is also the principal supply of information about our national heroes, martyrs, the struggles and sacrifices of our forefathers, the task of our social reformers, the wars of the pre-and-post-Independence era, such as the recent and ongoing war against cross-border terrorism, and our achievements as a totally free and democratic nation.

Thus, few can contest Indian cinema's, particularly Hindi cinema's, unmatched contribution to strengthening the bonds of national integration, countering divisive feelings, educating individuals about our shared national history and, through all of this, re-enforcing in them pride and love for the Motherland.

Ananya Bharati is a documentary that encapsulates the spirit of patriotism that the Hindi film industry has captured on celluloid and nurtured in the hearts of Indians. Produced beneath the banner of my company, Swayam Infotainment, I believed probably the most apt beginning to this documentary will be ace musician A.R. Rahman, bowing to the motherland with his rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam. This forms a part of his album VANDE MATARAM created by BharatBala Pictures. Ananya Bharati categorises Indian patriotic Indian patriotic films primarily into three categories. The very first category comprises films connected with terrorism. The 2nd, features films about martyrs of the freedom struggle and events linked to the partition of the nation and the 3rd category has war films that depict the India-Pakistan conflict.

Ananya Bharati also talks about films on nation-building like the recently released Swades. The documentary concludes with a mental punch in the form of a bouquet of patriotic songs which have captured the national imagination.

Patriotic Films - The Beginning

The Hindi film industry's adoption of patriotic themes happened at its very inception, when India was engaged in an original struggle for freedom from the British colonial rule. The very first film which boldly ventured in this direction was Sohrab Modi's Sikandar. This 1941 film carried the message of patriotism indirectly by praising the valour of King Porus in his war from the invader, Alexander the Great. Other films with this era were Bandhan (1940) and Kismet (1943).

When freedom dawned on 15th August 1947, ending 200 years of alien rule, the Indian film industry was there to celebrate this historic transition. The air days past was filled with the hopes and dreams of building a New India, most inspiringly articulated by our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Bollywood captured this mood in films like Naya Daur (1957) and Hum Hindustani (1960). Anand Math (1952), Jaagriti (1954) and Leader (1964) dedicated to the freedom struggle and the sacrifices created by its martyrs. Others like Sikander-E-Azam (1965) and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Beheti Hai (1960), through their songs, discussed the greatness of India. Then there have been films which were inspired by the violation of the country's barriers by its enemies. Three notable films made on the subject were Haqeeqat (1964), Prem Pujari (1970) and Lalkar (1972). Of those, Haqeeqat, which can be about the Chinese aggression in 1962, has left a lasting impact. Bade Achhe Lagte Hain Watch Online

Some recently made films on the subject:

Also set from the backdrop of the Partition may be the 2003 film Pinjar, a cinematic adaptation of Amrita Pritam's famous novel of the same name, by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi. Incidentally, he had made a very popular TV serial Chanakya, which chose an Indian hero of ancient times to transmit many contemporary messages. Showing the trauma of partition, the film powerfully conveyed that atrocity does have no religion and sounded the warning that history mustn't be permitted to repeat itself.

The fantastic revolutionaries of the freedom movement like Sardar Patel, Udham Singh and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar inspired many film make to create films on them. Veer Savarkar's inspirational life was the main topic of a video - Veer Savarkar by Ved Rahi in 2001.