With RRR’s Global Fame: Remembering 4 Bollywood Films Set In British Raj

RRR has again made it to the headlines by bagging as many as five nominations at the Critics Choice Awards. The news comes days after the film won two nominations at the Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture non-English language and Best Original Score.

The SS Rajamouli directorial has been making it big in the international platform by receiving back-to-back- awards and nominations in the west. The Boston Society Of Film Critics also awarded MM Keeravaani for his original score and he also won the Best Original Score for RRR by the Los Angeles Films Critics Association.

Set in 1920, the film revolves around two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), and their fight against the British Raj. It also explores the undocumented period in their lives when both the revolutionaries chose to go into obscurity before they began the fight for their country.

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As the film eyes the upcoming Oscars 2023, here are four other Bollywood films that are set in the British Raj.

Lagaan

The Aamir Khan starrer film Lagaan is set in 1893 during the late Victorian period of India's colonial British Raj. The film revolves around the inhabitants of a village in Central India who, as a result of excessive taxes and a prolonged drought, accept an arrogant British Indian Army officer's wager to play cricket in order to avoid paying their taxes. The villagers learn a game that is foreign to them and compete to win.

Rang De Basanti

Rang De Basanti is one of the classic Hindi films of its time from filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Shot primarily in Delhi, the National award-winning film narrates the story of Delhi University students fighting the corruption of their government inspired by the stories of five freedom fighters of the Indian revolutionary movement. The film also stars Soha Ali Khan, Siddharth, Kunal Kapoor, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, veteran actor Waheeda Rehman, and British actor Alice Patten.

Mangal Pandey: The Rising

The 2005 biographical film Mangal Pandey: The Rising starring Aamir Khan in the lead, is based on the life of the freedom fighter and soldier Mangal Pandey who is known for his contribution to bringing the Indian rebellion of 1857 to the forefront. He was a sepoy (soldier) in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry of the company's army, who was executed by hanging in Barrackpore in April 1857 for encouraging mutiny against company rule.The film also stars Rai Mukherjee, Ameesha Patel, Toby Stephens, Kirron Kher, and Om Puri in pivotal roles.

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Sardar Udham

Another biographical historical drama film directed by Shoojit Sircar is the 2021 Vicky Kaushal starrer Sardar Udham. The film is based on the life of Udham Singh, a freedom fighter from Punjab who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar.