Patriotism throughout Indian Cinema.

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

India is fondly called 'Bharati' by its people. The name harks back once again to its epic past, whose beginnings have defied determination. Hence, India evokes a feeling of timelessness. Obviously, India has been changing perpetually from the time its hoary antiquity. It has also suffered such vicissitudes of history as have pushed various other ancient nations and civilizations into extinction. How then has India faced each one of these internal changes and external assaults, and yet managed to remain alive as an energetic and ascendant nation in the 21st century? The clear answer is: Patriotism - the most popular emotion and self-awareness that unites our people notwithstanding 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 of the uniting and uplifting feeling of nationalism. Patriotic films, as a particular and much-admired genre of Indian cinema, have experienced a tremendous affect our people, cutting across religious, regional, linguistic and economic identities. Moreover, they have also proved their unsurpassed power of communicating both to educated and illiterate masses.

For some Indians, cinema may be the enduring source 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 can be the primary source of knowledge about our national heroes, martyrs, the struggles and sacrifices of our forefathers, the work of our social reformers, the wars of the pre-and-post-Independence era, including the recent and ongoing war against cross-border terrorism, and our achievements as a free of charge 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 the people about our shared national history and, through all this, re-enforcing inside them pride and passion 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 under the banner of my company, Swayam Infotainment, I thought the absolute most apt beginning to this documentary would 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 initial category comprises films associated with terrorism. The 2nd, features films about martyrs of the freedom struggle and events connected to the partition of the united states and the third 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 an emotional punch in the form of a bouquet of patriotic songs that 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 initial 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 of the 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 those times was full of the hopes and dreams of creating 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) centered on the freedom struggle and the sacrifices made by its martyrs. Many others like Sikander-E-Azam (1965) and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Beheti Hai (1960), through their songs, discussed the greatness of India. Then there were films that have been inspired by the violation of the country's barriers by its enemies. Three notable films made about them were Haqeeqat (1964), Prem Pujari (1970) and Lalkar (1972). Of those, Haqeeqat, that is in regards to the Chinese aggression in 1962, has left a lasting impact. Bade Achhe Lagte Hain Watch Online

Some recently made films about them:

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 must not 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 produce films on them. Veer Savarkar's inspirational life was the subject of a film - Veer Savarkar by Ved Rahi in 2001.