From Alia To Kangana: Actresses Who Portrayed Freedom Fighter Roles In Bollywood Films

Over the years, several male actors have played the roles of popular as well as lesser-known freedom fighters of our country including Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Rajkummar Rao, and Vicky Kaushal, among others in mainstream Bollywood films. On the other hand, there have been very few biopics or patriotic films based on women revolutionaries who had actively participated in our freedom struggle.

With the upcoming 74th Republic Day on January 26, 2023, take a look at the female actors who portrayed the roles of women freedom fighters in Bollywood movies.

Kangana Ranaut

In the 2019 historical action drama film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, Kangana Ranaut plays the lead role of Rani Lakshmibai aka Manikarnika. Directed by Krish Jagarlamudi and Ranaut from a screenplay written by V. Vijayendra Prasad, the film is based on the life of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, a fearless warrior, who fought the British on a battlefield to conquer the throne of Jhansi back. However, after conquering the princely state of Gwalior, as she moves forward in an attempt to attack the British, she gets shot by them and bravely burns herself in the fire to avoid being captured by the British.

Alia Bhatt

Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the 2018 spy action thriller film Raazi stars Alia Bhatt in the lead along with Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Soni Razdan, among others. Adapted from Harinder Sikka's 2008 novel Calling Sehmat, Raazi is a true account of an Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent who married into a family of Pakistan military officers as per her father’s request to relay information to India ahead of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Deepika Padukone

One of the lesser-known films of Deepika Padukone includes Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey which also stars Abhishek Bachchan in the lead. The 2010 historical action-adventure film directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar is based on Manini Chatterjee's Do and Die, an account of the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid. From its beginning to its aftermath, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey portrays the Chittagong (currently in Bangladesh) uprising, an attempt by armed Indian independence activists led by Master Da Surya Sen on April 18, 1930, to raid the armoury of police and auxiliary forces in the then part of the British Raj's Bengal Presidency. Padukone plays the role of Kalpana Datta who becomes a part of Master Da’s revolutionary team.

Soha Ali Khan

In the popular 2006 Hindi drama film Rang De Basanti, Soha Ali Khan plays the role of Durgawati Devi aka Durga bhabhi who was an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter. She was known to actively participate in armed revolution against the ruling British Raj as she accompanied Bhagat Singh on the train journey in which he escaped in disguise after the killing of John P. Saunders, a junior British police officer.