In times of crisis like these, we all can use some motivation and hope to hold onto. According to research, Movies are very effective in changing the way we think and bring about subtle changes in our lives.
Before we get to the most inspirational Bollywood movies in Hindi, let me share a small backstory.
This happened after I completed my previous post.
After finishing editing the final draft, I decided to take a break. God I got all worked up, it was 2:20 in the morning after all. (I like working in nights)
I needed something to crack me up a little…Some sitcom or something.
I’ve already binge watched Friends and HIMYM, so I crossed off the sitcoms and moved to movies instead.
But had no idea what I was going to watch.
Out of blue, I opened my Netflix account and I saw Special 26 there. Now I knew what I was going to watch.
After two and a half hour of pure energy of Akshay’s presence, I got charged up and spent my entire morning reading about him.
So, it’s of no surprise that in today’s article, he is going to be dominating. He has featured in so many real-events based movies that it’s mind boggling.
Alright, I’ve kept you waiting enough, let’s start
PadMan
Director: R. Balki
Writers: R. Balki, Swanand Kirkire
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte, Sonam Kapoor
“PadMan, which features an extraordinary true-life story, is both a strong film and one that needs to be watched.”
Raja Sen, NDTV
We’re starting the list too with Akshay Kumar. He is playing the role of Laxmikant (in real life Arunachalam Muruganantham).
Laxmikant sees his wife using an old dirty and unhygienic cloth piece when she was in her mensuration period. It upsets him, he loves his wife. So he goes on to do something which only a brave man can do based on the fact that the area he lives in is really backward and conservative.
So what does he do? He invents a machine using which he can produce sanitary napkin which are affordable and Hygienic. He then goes to spread awareness about the pads all around the town which lead him to some funny troubles.
You can’t miss the next one, which is:-
Neerja
Director: Ram Madhvani
Writers: Saiwyn Quadras, Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh
Starring: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Yogendra Tiku
“This one raises a toast to the daunting spirit of India’s daughters; every one of us must salute Neerja.”
Meena Iyer, Times of India.
Based on the real-life flight attendant hero Neerja Bhanot, which is extraordinarily played by Sonam Kapoor.
Neerja risks her own life to prevent terrorists doing any damage to the flight passengers when the flight Pan Am 73 gets high jacked. Unfortunately, and Heartbreakingly, she loses her life in protecting the passengers but doesn’t choose to give up on his duty. She dies at a very young age.
As I said, you can’t and shouldn’t miss this one.
Airlift
Director: Raja Menon
Writers: Raja Menon, Sonu Sinha
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur, Kumud Mishra
Giving a tribute to an unsung and living hero who saved tens of Indians during Kuwait-Iraq war, Mathunny Mathews. However, Mathunny’s role is played by Akshay Kumar by the name of Ranjit Katyal.
While Ranjit, an Indian Businessman, was living a very peaceful and happy life with wife and a daughter in Kuwait, Iraq Invaded the country and things went bizarre. There were mass murders and brutal killing of almost everybody.
Ranjit, risking his own and his family’s life, decides to help his fellow countrymen to escape the chaotic country by an Airlift.
Now tell me, isn’t it an inspiration? Watch out for the next one…
Manjhi: The mountain man
“Watch Manjhi for Nawaz’s outstanding performance and to truly acknowledge and learn about the true legend Dashrath Manjhi.”
Surabhi Redkar, Koimoi.
A man can do anything for his family. Manjhi loved his wife, more than anything in the world. She was pregnant before he lost her, forever. So make no mistake, this isn’t just a biopic of a rebel, it’s an example for every man out there in the world on how to love.
The character, Dashrath Manjhi, is played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui in an extremely glamorous way.
Dashrath Manjhi is a low cast laborer who is a family man. His wife phaguniya is expecting a baby. The village has no infrastructure at all, women has to cross a giant mountain in order to get water for household works. One day phaguniya was on the way to home and while crossing the mountain her foot slips and she dies.
Manjhi, unable to bear the loss of the most important person is his life, decides to break the mountain from in between and to make road so that such terrible accident never happens again to anybody.
Mission Mangal
“Most movies suffer from what’s called the ‘curse of the second half’. Mission Mangal is a rare one that reverses that principle. It gets much better towards the end!”
Mayank Shekhar, Mid-Day
On the day of 24th November, 2013 ISRO became 4th space agency in the world which made it the mars after Soviet Program, NASA, and ESA.
To give a tribute to the hard working team of the Space Scientists, Bollywood made Mission Mangal. And whose name could possibly come to the mind of director if he is making a film about some unsung hero? You guessed it right, Akshay Kumar.
Well, in Mission Mangal, The ISRO Scientists cross every barrier in their personal and professional lives only to make the Mar Orbiter Mission a success.
Poorna
“This underdog story has it all: drama, adventure, tragedy, improbability, willpower and a win. It handles a real life story with sensitivity and successfully conveys its theme about realising dreams.”
Udita Jhunjhunwala, Firstpost.
What did your life look like when you were 13? I binge-watched Shin Chan at that age. What Poorna did when she was 13? She climbed Mount Everest. Holy mother of GOD!
She is the youngest human to step on the peak of Mount Everest. Can’t stress this enough how crazy it is. Imagine the joy of reaching to literally the top of the world.
This is a biopic of the young legend who made it to the peak of the giant even after having life-threatening accident on the way.
URI: The surgical strike
“Vicky Kaushal pitches Shergill just right – neither a chest-thumper nor a brooder, but a patriot who is an officer and a gentleman.”
Udita Jhunjhunwala, Firstpost.
A mere trailer showing the power of Indian Army. We kill it when it comes to brining things to justice.
When a group of terrorists invaded the URI camp and killed Indian Army soldiers in 2016, Indian Government and Indian Army decides to take action and starts a covert operation which is under the leadership of Major Vihaan Singh Shergill, who lost his brother in law in the terrorist attack of 2016.
Being an India, you should totally put this movie in your basket.
Special 26
“The film grips excites and climaxes too! And no, you can’t fake this one! Catch it for pure cinematic orgasm.”
Times Of India.
Based on the story of the real Heist of Opera House in 1987, this movie is a thriller of your dream. Starring Akshay Kumar, Apuman Kher, Jimmy Shergill, and Manoj Bajpai.
Here’s the deal, a group of con artist poses as CBI officers and raids the prominent personalities and seizes their money which were not disclosed. As the news start to spread about the ongoing raid, the real CBI gets alert and plans to catch the posers, only to end up being shameful failures.
The Ghazi Attack
Not just another war film. This is the first underwater war film.
This film is breath taking sequence of events during the time when Indian Navy submarine, S21, is being attack on the way of its regular surveillance by the Pakistani submarine named PNS Ghazi who was on the way to destroy INS Vikrant.
You will wonder every second of the movie what going to happen next.
As Times of India says:
“This underwater thriller is worth a watch for sure. It leaves you in awe of the soldiers, who lay their lives for their country.”
Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
Gotcha! I knew it. Only few people are out there who know that TEPK is based on real event. No worries you’re among those few people know. That’s the benefit of being a Fandom Insights reader.
The real person whose story is being portrayed in this movie is Shivram Narre and Anita Narre from Madhya Pradesh.
In the movie, the couple is named as Jaya and Keshav.
Keshav marries the love of his life Jaya but after the marriage Jaya finds out that there’s no toiled in Keshav’s home and she’ll have to go far away in open field to do the morning business. While Keshav’s father is against of making a toiled in home as it is the same land where Tulsi mata is being worshiped.
Jaya, out of anger, starts to make temporary arrangement which brings keshav into emotional states and he ends up going against his own family.
Honorable Mentions
I’m not gonna mention anything here today because there are lot more movies which I want to talk about but couldn’t. So instead of mentioning them here, I decided to create a second version of this article in which I’ll present you with the remaining picks. How’s that for fair?
