For just about any self-respecting nation, patriotism of its citizens is its heart-beat. When it is there, not only is the nation's continued existence across centuries and millennia guaranteed, but is progressive evolution is also 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 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 in addition has suffered such vicissitudes of history as have pushed several other ancient nations and civilizations into extinction. How then has India faced all these internal changes and external assaults, and yet managed to keep alive as an energetic and ascendant nation in the 21st century? The answer is: Patriotism - the common 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 of the uniting and uplifting feeling of nationalism. Patriotic films, as a particular and much-admired genre of Indian cinema, experienced a huge 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 many Indians, cinema is 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 such as 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 job of our social reformers, the wars of the pre-and-post-Independence era, like 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 individuals about our shared national history and, through all this, re-enforcing inside 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 the most apt beginning to this documentary could be ace musician A.R. Rahman, bowing to the motherland with his rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam. This forms an integral 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 next, features films about martyrs of the freedom struggle and events connected to the partition of the country and the 3rd category has war films that depict the India-Pakistan conflict.
Ananya Bharati also discusses films on nation-building such as the recently released Swades. The documentary concludes with a psychological punch in the proper execution 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 a unique 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 against 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 days was filled up 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. Many others like Sikander-E-Azam (1965) and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Beheti Hai (1960), through their songs, mentioned the greatness of India. Then there have been films that were 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 the, Haqeeqat, which is about the Chinese aggression in 1962, has left a lasting impact. Bade Achhe Lagte Hain Watch Online
Some recently made films about them:
Also set against the backdrop of the Partition is the 2003 film Pinjar, a cinematic adaptation of Amrita Pritam's famous novel of the exact same name, by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi. Incidentally, he had made a highly 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 not have any religion and sounded the warning that history mustn't be allowed to repeat itself.
The fantastic revolutionaries of the freedom movement like Sardar Patel, Udham Singh and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar inspired many film make to make films on them. Veer Savarkar's inspirational life was the main topic of a film - Veer Savarkar by Ved Rahi in 2001.
