Bollywood Movies That Are Inspired By Real-Life Events

First up on our list is the 2020 film ‘Chhapaak’ which is inspired by the life of an acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the biographical film starred Deepika Padukone and Vikrant Massey in lead roles.

Deepika played the character of a fun-loving girl ‘Malti’ who meets with an unfortunate incident when acid is splashed on her face by a man named Bashir. Despite major features of her face being burnt with the chemical, she decides to stand up for herself and fight back! 

The filmmaker deserves credit for never seeking the audience's pity for the survivors. If you like movies that move along the path of socially committed realistic cinema, then this one is for you!

If you like to watch crime thrillers, then you have got to add this movie to your watchlist!

Before the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case, it was the Jessica Lal murder case that was publicized and became the talk of the town. However, the case was very unusual as though Jessica was shot in front of a dozen people but there were no witnesses!

Starring Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan in lead roles, the film ‘No One Killed Jessica’ explored the hardships faced by a sister who seeks justice for her sister’s murder and also how media can play an important role to bring the nation’s support.

The movie was widely appreciated and won many prestigious awards.

Nowadays, Bollywood is coming up with movies that intend to bring forward the stories of some people who have done great work in their respective fields and give them a chance to meet the public eye. One of those movies is the 2019 film ‘Super 30’.

‘Super 30’ is the story of a Patna-based mathematician and tutor Anand Kumar. He is the founder of ‘Super 30 coaching institute’ where he teaches 30 underprivileged students for the IIT entrance exam and that too, free of cost.

Directed by Vikas Bahl, the film features Hrithik Roshan in the lead role as the mathematician. The film also shows how Anand faced innumerable struggles in achieving his and his students’ dream and still made it.

This movie will get you very emotional and you will definitely feel the love for our country!

Uri: The Surgical Strike is based on the true events of the 2016 Uri attack. The film stars Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Mohit Raina, and Kriti Kulhari in pivotal roles and is directed by Aditya Dhar.

The movie gives us a detailed account of what went down during the operation through the lens of Major Vihaan Singh Shergill of the Indian Army played by Vicky. The movie won multiple awards for its brilliance in every aspect!

So, “how’s the josh?”

Another directorial film by Meghna Gulzar on our list is the 2018 film ‘Raazi’. The film is inspired by the novel ‘Calling Sehmat’ written by Harinder Sikka. 

Starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in the lead roles, this is an inspiring story of a Kashmiri girl named Sehmat who is a RAW agent. Upon her father’s request, she has to get married to a Pakistani Army officer. She then passes on some important information before the India-Pakistan War of 1971.

The film shows the journey and struggles of being a spy who dedicated her life to her country - Bharat!

Directed by R. Balki, this entertaining yet socially-relevant film is inspired by the life of a social activist Arunachalam Muruganantham who is known for inventing inexpensive sanitary pads for women.

Akshay Kumar played the main role of Lakshmikant Chauhan “Laxmi” who wants to break the taboo regarding menstruation. The film also features Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor in pivotal roles.

The movie explores the struggles and criticism that Laxmi faced. But the best part is, he never gives up!

Ram Madhvani’s film ‘Neerja’ is based on a real-life event which was the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan in September 1986. The film features Sonam Kapoor in the lead role as the flight attendant Neerja Bhanot. 

The film pays tribute to Neerja who sacrificed her life while saving the innocent passengers from the Abu Nidal Organization terrorists’ hijacking attack. 

Sonam’s exemplary performance earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress for this movie.

Another Akshay Kumar starrer, Airlift is an inspirational story that is based on the true events of an evacuation process in Kuwait after the country was invaded by Saddam Hussein.

Through the life of a Kuwait-based businessman Ranjit Katyal (played by Akshay), the film shows the hardships faced by 1.7 lakh Indians to evacuate from the land of Kuwait to India.

Meghna Gulzar definitely knows how to bring a real-life story to the silver screen!

2015 thriller film ‘Talvar’ is based on the Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj Banjade murder case that took place in Noida in the year 2008. Starring Irrfan Khan, Konkana Sen Sharma, and Neeraj Kabi in important roles, the movie tries to narrate the story from the perspective of the CBI Investigator (played by Irrfan). 

Also, the most applauded factor of the film is that it does not stage the verdict or indulge in a media trial rather it shows the events that led to the incident.

Unlike other real-life-based movies which talk about a popular personality, ‘Special 26’ focuses on a real-life incident that shook the whole country.

Neeraj Pandey's directorial film ‘Special 26’ is based on a real incident that happened in Mumbai in the year 1987. There was a group of 26 con men who posed as the Central Bureau of Investigation officers and raided the shop of a famous jewellery brand. 

The film features Akshay Kumar, Manoj Bajpayee, Jimmy Sheirgill, and Anupam Kher in pivotal roles. It was not only a commercial hit but also received plenty of critical acclaims.