23 March Martyr’s Day : 7 Films based on the life of Bhagat Singh

23 March marked as a ‘Martyr’s Day’, death anniversary of legendary freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Bollywood has a great impact of these martyrs and their life. Many filmmakers had inspired and paid tribute to them through the cinema.

Here we list 7 films in the history of Indian cinema dedicated to the life of Bhagat Singh.

1. Shaheed-e-Azad Bhagat Singh (1954) 

This was the first film based on the life of Bhagat Singh. Directed by Jagdish Gautam, the film features Prem Abeed, Jairaj, Smriti Biswas and Ashita Mazumdar in lead roles. The film also has the classic patriotic song ‘Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab humare dil main hain..’ in Mohammed Rafi’s melodious voice.

2. Shaheed Bhagat Singh (1963):

In 1963, Shammi Kapoor appeared in Shaheed Bhagat Singh playing the lead role. The film was directed by KN Bansal and besides Shammi Kapoor, the movie starred Shakeela, Premnath, Ulhas and Achla Sachdev.

3. Shaheed (1965)

Directed by S Ram Sharma, ‘Shaheed’ features Manoj Kumar, Kamini Kaushal, Pran, Iftekhar, Nirupa Roy, Prem Chopra, Madan Puri and Anwar Hussain in lead roles. It was Manoj Kumar’s first patriotic film, followed by Upkar, Purab Aur Paschim, and Kranti. The film portrays the life of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev and how they went to the gallows at a young age. The sacrifices made by these revolutionaries eventually lead to India’s freedom from the colonial rule.

4. Shaheed-e-Azam (2002)

The film ‘Shaheed-E-Azam’ features Sonu Sood essaying the role of Bhagat Singh. The film shows how Bhagat Singh decides to eliminate British Raj from India, how he plots several attacks on the colonial rulers and how the government sentences him to death for killing a British officer.

5. 23rd March 1931: Shaheed (2002):

The film ‘23^rd March 1931: Shaheed’ features Bobby Deol as Bhagat Singh, Sunny Deol as Chandrashekhar Azad and Amrita Singh as Bhagat Singh’s mother. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has a special appearance in a song. The film depicts the events leading up to the hanging of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.

6. The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)

Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the film features Ajay Devgn in lead role. ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ beautifully portrays Bhagat Singh’s struggle for India’s independence and his views on the British Raj. The film begins with the scene where British attempts to dispose of Singh’s body and the film progresses with the flashback to the past to tell his story. The film has won two National Film Awards for Best Feature Film and three Filmfare awards.

7. Rang De Basanti (2006)

Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the literal meaning of the title ‘Rang De Basanti’ is ‘Paint me with the colours of spring’. The film features an ensemble cast comprising Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, Siddharth Narayan, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and British actress Alice Patten. The movie revolves around the life of a group of friends who work together on a documentary film on the revolutionaries.