The success story of real-life people, whether they are sports stars, politicians or war heroes, has always been a great subject to explore on celluloid. After all, these people are already known to the public at large and it is always intriguing to know them up and person and trace their journey, even if on the screen. The last few years have seen films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mary Kom, Dangal, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Neerja, Airlift, Raazi, Thackeray, Gully Boy, Uri and Manikarnika among many others doing well, and the trend isn’t going to die anytime soon. If anything, we are looking at a very promising lineup of biopics or films inspired by real people, some of which are:
Shershaah
Based on the life of Captain Vikram Batra, who was martyred during the 1999 Kargil War, Shershaah starring Sidharth Malhotra is all set to release on August 12 on Amazon Prime Video. Shot extensively in Drass and Kargil, the film is touted to be one of India’s biggest war films in modern cinema. INDULGE recently visited Kargil where the 1999 battle took place, to discover what went into the making of Shershaah. Read more about it here.
Bhuj: The Pride of India
Set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Bhuj: The Pride of India is based on the life of IAF Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik, who along with his team and 300 women from the local village Madhapar reconstructed the IAF airbase, which was destroyed in the combat. The film directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya features Ajay Devgn in the lead role. Alongside him, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Nora Fatehi, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk, Pranitha Subhash and Ihana Dhillon are seen in pivotal roles. The film is set to release on 13 August 2021 on Disney+Hotstar.
Sam Bahadur
After Raazi, based on the life of an Indian secret agent who was married to a Pakistani army officer to provide Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) with confidential information, Meghna Gulzar is back with another biographical film. This time she is directing a biographical film based on the life of India's first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and it will see Vicky Kaushal in the titular role.
'83
Directed by Kabir Khan, '83 starring Ranveer Singh as Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev chronicles the glorious moments of the 1983 cricket World Cup. Initially scheduled for a release in April 2020, the film featuring an ensemble cast, including actors like Deepika Padukone, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani, and Amrita Puri, among others, has been postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19.
Thalaivi
Based on the life of J Jayalalithaa, a politician and film actress who served six times as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the upcoming biographical drama will see actress Kangana Ranaut playing the lead role.
Although it was scheduled for a theatrical release on April 23, 2021, it has been postponed indefinitely due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
Maidaan
Ajay Devgn is all set to bring back the golden era of Indian football (1952-1962) with the upcoming biopic Maidaan. The film is based on legendary football coach Syed Abdul Rahim, played by Ajay Devgn, who coached the Indian football team from 1950 to 1963.
Gangubai Kathiawadi
Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi narrates the true story of an infamous brothel owner and matriarch in Mumbai's Kamathipura, played by talented actress Alia Bhatt.