Republic in Reels
Our movies give a face to the faceless and a voice to the silent guardians who protect this Republic from the shadows, ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten
“Main rahoon ya na rahoon, Bharat yeh rehna chahiye.” While the Constitution lays down the law, it is our films that actually give those laws a soul. This Republic Day, let us be honest: cinema is the real reason many of us finally understood what the flag actually stands for. It is the only thing that turns dusty history books into a fierce sense of pride.
With Border 2 hitting the screens this week, we are reminded of just how much a movie can move a nation. In 1997, the first Border was a wake-up call. It defined patriotism for an entire generation, showing us the brutal reality of a battle fought in the sand.
Why does cinema even matter so much? Because without it, someone like Sehmat in Raazi stays a nameless ghost hidden in a government file. Or the diplomat in Ulajh is just a boring signature on a visa. These are the real, unsung guardians who never get medals in public. They live and die in total silence. Cinema takes that silence and turns it into a national salute. This is the only real way to say thank you to heroes we’ll probably never meet.
India’s screen heroes began with the big names of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Manoj Kumar, rock-solid in Upkar and Purab Aur Paschim, stepped up on purpose — he guided a shaky new country finding its way. Mother India put our grit on a global stage, while Haqeeqat refused to hide the raw, bleeding pain of 1962. It went beyond cinema — it was a country finally seeing its own reflection. These films were the pulse of a new India.
Later, movies like Kranti and Karma kept that fire burning. These films taught us that being a Republic is about holding your ground when everything is at stake. The fight has moved to our own streets now. We have seen a big change in how we view the police. In the 70s, Zanjeer gave us the ‘Angry Young Man’ against a broken system. Today’s heroes feel real, feet on the ground. Gangaajal, Ardh Satya and the Mardaani series — they give the cop’s khaki some real heart, the kind it always needed.
The younger generation found its fire through Rang De Basanti, a film that shook the conscience of millions. Together with Lagaan, Swades, and Lakshya, it taught us that loving your country is about active participation. From the cold focus of Sarfarosh to the raw, everyday honesty in A Wednesday, we see that every common person serves as a guardian of the nation.
Look at it this way — a country is held together by something much deeper than dry legal codes or official ink on a page. Our Republic actually lives and breathes because we choose to believe in the stories we share with each other. The Republic remains powerful because we choose to trust the stories we share.
Whether we witness the silent, lonely struggle in Raazi, the massive sacrifice in Shershaah, or the fierce strength of Mardaani, the reality remains the same. We are all essential parts of one heart, one pulse, and one India.
NEW RELEASES
After nearly thirty years, that roar is finally back. With Border 2 hitting theaters this Friday, the energy in the crowd is something else. Seeing Sunny Deol return as Fateh Singh Kaler feels less like watching an actor and more like seeing an old guardian come home. This is far more than just another sequel. It is a trip straight back to 1997.
The movie brings back a kind of soul that modern, digital films often miss. When those familiar melodies like Sandese Aate Hain and Ghar Kab Aaoge start playing, you can feel the entire room get chills. Even with Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh adding a new spark to this 1971 story, the heart of the film stays stuck to the grit and brotherhood of the original. It is a loud, proud salute to the flag that reminds us exactly why we still love going to the movies.
