In Search Of A Good Independence Day Film

In Search Of A Good Independence Day Film

Border, Lakshya, Raazi, Swades, Manthan... a 'good' Independence Day film is as subjective as the patriotism that summons its ideals, writes Manik Sharma.

MY clearest memories of Independence Day aren’t of those spent at neighbourhood functions or school events. They are about tucking ourselves — a family of three — into the warmth and comfort of a good film. An entire generation in India has grown up with this ritual, surrendering to the crowd-pleasing wonders of a ‘deshbhakti wali’ film on national television. Spies, freedom fighters, righteous men and women — all appeased the average Indian living room with stories of valour and validation.

As a result, cinema has shaped our ideas of patriotism, be it the hardened external edges or the soft inner curves. Between the two we externalised our anxieties, considered the greater good and eked out an optimistic outlook on the rest of our life. No matter how meagre the starting point of our opinions, on Independence Day everyone felt emboldened, that much more self-important and maybe even bullish. Everything that life couldn’t give, cinema lent us for the duration of a day.

Patriotism isn’t a planar idea. It has dimensions, and houses contradictions. Most curative lists will tell you that films made from a certain fabric qualify as patriotic. But a good Independence Day film is as subjective as the patriotism that summons its ideals. JP Dutta’s Border (1998) has always been a popular choice. A ballistic, rousing version of patriotism that we caught in the theatres, hunkered over seats with barely a place to stand, Dutta’s seminal film was a culmination of not just epic filmmaking, but also restless, post-Kargil sentiment. Shah Rukh Khan’s Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000), in comparison, offered a more contemplative portrait, one that looked at the fissures within, as opposed to the borders outside.

Why Tollywood's Flirtation with Re-Releases Is Unlikely To Fade

Junior NTR’s Aadi and Simhadri, Allu Arjun’s Desamuduru, late superstar Krishna’s Mosagallaku Mosagallu — have all been part of this 're-release' mania. Mallik Thatipalli reports.

THE theatre is full of screaming fans. They’re singing along and echoing the dialogues back at the screen, with a familiarity that only comes with repeated viewings.

The movie playing is Pawan Kalyan’s Kushi, which released in 2001. But the scene described above is unfolding in 2023! It’s part of a Tollywood trend: re-releasing stars’ older super hits on their birthdays, to make some money and earn plenty of social media mileage. Junior NTR’s Aadi and Simhadri, Allu Arjun’s Desamuduru (all three films released more than a decade ago), late superstar Krishna’s Mosagallaku Mosagallu (from 1971) — all have been part of this trend. The campaign follows a template — schedule a re-release for a few days around a star’s birthday, leverage it on social media, and target single screens where fans can pay homage to their matinee idols.

Veteran producer Suresh Babu says this is the reemergence of an older trend. “I remember in the ‘70s, ANR’s cult film Prem Nagar had multiple runs spread across years and made money on every successive release. But then, that was because the prints were limited and people had great memories of their star in the film hence revisited it,” he notes.

The current trend mimics something that used to happen regularly in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Single screens, lack of satellite media and OTT ensured repeat audiences, and producers pandered to that craze by releasing successful films again and again.

But in today’s time and era, many of the new generation actors whose careers launched in the ‘90s and early 2000s — like Mahesh Babu, Prabhas, NTR Jr, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan and Pawan Kalyan — are continuing to prove their mettle at the box office with re-runs at 300-500 screens on an average, worldwide. What explains this craze?

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