Sarkar, Satyagraha, Nayak: 7 films inspired by politics that you should watch!

The 2019 Lok Sabha Elections have just begun and we urge each and every one of you to go out there and cast your vote, without fail. If you’ve been up-to-date with the latest news, you’ll already be well aware of the hate politics that has been spreading lately, and to stop that, you are just a wise vote away. Choose wisely so the right people win and help in taking our country forward. On that note, here are seven films inspired by real-life political drama:

1) Sarkar (2005) – Sarkar, that starred Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Kay Kay Menon in pivotal roles, was a huge critically and commercially acclaimed hit. Most of all, it was loved for the way it indigenized The Godfather (1972) and brought about a political angle to it. Subhash Nagre, also known as Sarkar (played by Amitabh Bachchan), portrays the role of a powerful gangster who is later slandered for murdering a politician. Sarkar is later brought to justice by his son Shankar (played by Abhishek Bachchan). In the movie, the titular role was also loosely inspired by politician and Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackery.

2) Satyagraha (2013) – Another strong political film with a political message. The film also clearly showcases the power of social media. Dwarka Anand (played by Amitabh Bachchan) is a retired teacher who serves his time in prison for having raised his hands on a corrupt official while trying to acquire the due compensation for his son’s death. While Dwarka is in prison, a determined Manav (Ajay Devgn) gathers a huge crowd with the help of social media and his friends to get Dwarka out of jail. All in all, it is a compelling film that mirrors the reality around us.

3) Kissa Kursee Ka (1978) – This is a political satire on the system and egocentric, money-minded politicians. The plot revolves around an evil politician who tries to woo Janta (played by Shabana Azmi). Two rival parties, Bhikharimal and Garibdas, oppose each other for the elections that will commence in the Jan Gan. All in all, it is a humorous take on our former PM Indira Gandhi.

4) Nayak: The Real Hero (2001) – The film focused on the protagonist of the film Shivaji Rao (Anil Kapoor), who is challenged by the Chief Minister to run the state for a day. The success of his action propels the people of the state to push him towards joining politics. Vigilant and well-educated, he emerges victorious when he reveals everything about the Chief Minister Balraj Chauhan (Amrish Puri). Under the governance of Shivaji Rao, every basic need is taken care of and people of the village no longer live in fear.

5) Rajneeti (2010) – A Prakash Jha film, this political thriller simmers above all of his other political films. The film was critically acclaimed and featured an interesting ensemble. It was influenced by the tales of Mahabharata and the film, The Godfather (1972). It starred Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Naseeruddin Shah, Arjun Rampal, Sara Thompson and Manoj Bajpayee.

6) Accidental Prime Minister (2019) – Based on the life of former PM Manmohan Singh, the film looks at his tenure as the Prime Minister of India and the kind of power he had over his cabinet and the country. Starring Anupam Kher as Manmohan Singh, it was helmed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte.

7) Daddy (2017) – This film was based on the life of a gangster-turned-politician, Arun Gawli, played by Arjun Rampal, who also co-produced and co-wrote the script. The film chronicles Gawli’s journey from being a feared gangster to entering politics and his metamorphosis into Daddy.

Recently, a film titled The Tashkent Files, based on the mysterious death of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri hit the screens. Anyway, these are our top favourite political films that have tried to create awareness and given us all the much-needed reality check of the politics playing around us. Stay tuned to CineBlitz for more updates.