10 Bollywood Movies Inspired by True-Life Events

Yes, our own Bollywood is famous for being different from other cinematic pursuits undertaken globally.

Often, Bollywood takes inspiration from real-life incidents, happenings that somehow have an influence, a tendency to inspire our filmmakers to splay these wanderings of life on the silver screen. Presenting 10 Bollywood movies inspired by true-life events.

Bollywood has always managed to take inspiration from the best possible sources, be they reel or real life. That is because Indian filmmakers want to try and capture the daily musings of life, trapping them between the reels of their camera and splaying the extracts of these slices of life for all to see by way of the silver screen.

Often, it is what actually happens that inspires our Bollywood movies. From inspirational, to awe-inducing, to terror to funny to even grotesque and barbaric, these movies have been made not only to replicate the events but also show all the current state of happenings as far as our country goes.

So, today I bring to you guys 10 Bollywood movies inspired by true-life events:

Raazi (2018)

A spy action thriller, this one starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal was inspired by real-life incidents and also happened to be based on the book “Calling Sehmat” by Harinder Sikka. This follows the story of an undercover RAW spy Indian agent, “Sehmat,” who is surreptitiously married to a family of military officers from Pakistan to help uncover and relay information to India prior to the Indo-Pak War of 1971.

Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015)

Following the true story of Manjhi, this movie is based on the biography of Dashrath Manjhi, known as “the mountain man,” who carved a path through a hill using only a hammer and a chisel. When his wife, who was pregnant and was trying to cross the mountain in the absence of any such way previously carved, passes away, Manjhi decides to carve this way for those who wish to go to Wazirganj to gain medical access.

Mary Kom (2014)

A biographical sports film based on the life of the eponymous boxer Mary Kom, this one depicts Kom’s entire journey from becoming a boxer right up until the 2008 World Boxing Championship in Ningbo. It also depicts all the personal hardships Mary had to undergo in order to reach where she is today. It is a truly inspirational journey; it is one of those few biographies that give you real-life goals, peeps!

Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)

A military action film, this one is all about how Indian army special forces execute a covert operation to avenge the killing of fellow army men at their base by a terrorist group. Based on real-life happenings, this is one super inspirational flick. “How’s the Josh?” which is a popular line from the movie, has actually become a cult with all of our generation.

Black Friday (2007)

Okay, first things first, please don’t confuse this one. The one I am talking about This is based on Husain Zaidi’s novel, which recounts the true and horrific happenings during the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993. Chronicling the events that led to these unfortunate happenings, it also covers the subsequent police investigation behind the same. Yes, some movies are like dark, raw scars; this one is a true-blue depiction, something we are scared to revisit but definitely a skeleton from our closet we cannot deny. BTW, did you know that the movie that was slated to be released in 2004 was actually released in 2007 since its release was delayed?

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)

A sports drama, this one enlists the journey of Indian athlete Milkha Singh, showing how he overcame several agonising obstacles to become a true world champion, an Olympian, and one of India’s most iconic athletes. ”The Flying Sikh,” as he is fondly referred to, is a true celebration and an ode to his life’s depiction. This movie is a must-watch for all, especially young sports enthusiasts.

Neerja (2016)

A biopic thriller, this one recounts the true story of Neerja Bhanot, the head purser of Pan Am Flight 73, whose attempted hijacking in Pakistan and the subsequent events forced Neerja to stay strong in the face of the crisis and thwart the hijack by alerting the pilots, Bhanot died while trying to help save passengers and the crew, thereby saving the lives of 359 out of 379 passengers but losing her own in the process. A heroic sacrifice: here is a real-life martyr heroine whose story has been brought forth for all to witness on the big screen.

No One Killed Jessica (2011)

Based on the Jessica Lal murder case, the film revolves around a bartender who dies after being shot by a politician’s son and her sister’s struggles to find justice for her death. Critically acclaimed, this one is a dark depiction of life in metros like New Delhi and how circumstances lead to horrific happenings. Sabrina Lal’s attempts at getting her late sister justice will leave you with goosebumps and a heavy heart too.

Airlift (2016)

The plot for this one is adapted from the real-life story of Kuwait-based Malayali businessman Mathunny Mathews, who helped carry out the evacuation of Indians based in Kuwait during its invasion by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. The director, Menon, wrote the script after studying the whole incident of war as well as the predicament of Indians based in Kuwait. A real patriotic movie, this one was superb!

Super 30 (2019)

Based on the true life of Anand Kumar, a mathematician from Patna, this one showcases his journey as Anand works his way through challenges towards success before eventually running the Super 30 education programme for IIT-JEE aspirants in Patna, a free-of-cost pursuit which he takes up seeing the plight of poor students and education in the country. It also recounted the hardships Anand underwent to eventually set up the concrete.

Related: From Page to Screen: A Look at the Best Fantasy Book Series Adapted Into TV Shows and Movies

So, these were 10 Bollywood movies inspired by true-life events.

Let me know which ones you have watched and which you want to add to my list. Stay tuned with us right here at Booxoul for the best in the fields of education, fun, finance, food, fashion, lifestyle, tech, and gadgets, as well as all things bookish.

Adios Amigos!