Independence Day 2023: Subverting patriotism with films like Raazi, Gangaajal and Shershaah

Few years ago, a post on Facebook said why TV channels telecast films on India and Pakistan on the eve of the Independence Day, when it was the British we got our independence from. It should have gone viral instantly, but August 15 1947 was also the day when the nation experienced the traumatic partition that led to the creation of Pakistan. Many filmmakers still fuel the feeling of hatred between the two nations to harp on the emotion of Independence and patriotism, but only some of the titles have struck a balance between rouse and restrain in recent times. Here are they:

Raazi (2018)

Meghna Gulzar is a filmmaker that creates powerful moments using silences. In Raazi, a naïve and innocent girl is migrated to Pakistan as a spy to keep an eye on their movements. The nation’s security is at threat and she’s the one for the job. Who will suspect a tender girl as a perfect foil for their plans? But Raazi shows the people across the border as humans and not caricatures. They don’t wear their patriotism on their jingoistic sleeves, nor use the word Janaab and Mulk after every sentence. Ditto for the Indians in the film, they respect their country, but what’s the need to chant Hindustan Zindabad to prove it?

Gangaajal (2003)

During that time, Ajay Devgn also had hyper-nationalistic outings like Zameen and Qayamat, and in between, he balanced with Prakash Jha’s Gangaajal. The masterstroke here was how the filmmaker never let the audiences believe it was a film about the bravery of the police officers, it was all done with remarkable skill and sans spoon feeding. Unlike the much more successful and popular Singham, Devgn’s sermons here hit home, and so did the sub plot of a helpless police officer (Mukesh Tiwari) whose loyal tendencies were only being cannibalized by two evil politicians to meet their own ends.

Shershaah (2021)

It was on the life of Captain Vikram Batra, played here by Sidharth Malhotra. In one scene, he even asks ‘Jung kyun hoti hai yaar.’ The biographical drama walks the tightrope between creating palpable tension and a sense of patriotism devoid of an OTT treatment. Ironic that it streamed on OTT only.

The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)

The visionary freedom fighter who sacrificed his life for the nation has been essayed on celluloid multiple times. Ajay Devgn also took on the challenge back in 2002 in Rajkumar Santoshi’s effective drama. There’s a piercing dialogue in the film where Singh talks about how the nation will burn itself one day by fighting over cast and creed. Patriotism isn’t only about chanting your nation’s name, but also exposing its brutal reality with rage. Only if he could be here to witness the India of 2023.