Without further ado, let’s have a peek at this list of top 10 must-watch historical movies in Bollywood by Gurugamer.com.
Table of Contents
1. Bajirao Mastani
When movie fans think of this film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, many cannot yet suppose this is another magnum opus product from his stables. This talented director has always been relying on the grandeur of a presentation and the visual appeal. This, combined with excellent acting, as a result, did end in the overwhelming success of Bajirao Mastani – one of the best historical movies in Hindi Bollywood.
The movie takes you back to the 18th century that was under the rule of Maratha combatants. Our main character is the heroic Pehswa Bajirao, who got married to Kashibai but was still in love with a warrior princess in distress named “Mastani.” They fought for their true love amid the stiff opposition from Bajirao’s conservative family.
>>> Watch Bajirao Mastani on IMDb
2. Jodhaa Akbar
Jodhaa Akbar truly deserves to be named in this list of historical movies in Bollywood. This is a 2008 historical romance movie which is co-written, produced and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It depicts a 16th-century love story between the Raijput Princess, Jodhaa, and the Mughal Emperor, Akbar. The storyline paves the way for a marriage alliance between the Muslims and the Hindus. And the main attraction of Jodhaa Akbar is obviously how this alliance gave rise to an epic love. Enjoy the movie to learn more!
>>> Watch Jodhaa Akbar on IMDb
3. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
Lagaan: Once upon a time in India is a Hindi epic musical sports movie released in 2001. It's set in the early 19th century, during the late Victorian Age of India's colonial British Raj. The plot revolves around a little village in Gujarat whose dwellers were burdened by high taxations and years of drought. Not only that, they also found themselves in a deplorable situation when a haughty British army officer challenged them to a game of cricket as a gamble to be exempted from paying the taxes. This was actually an arduous task for the villagers since cricket is alien to them yet they wanted to change their own destiny…
Lagaan, one of the greatest historical movies in Bollywood, has earned universal acclaim as well as prestigious awards at many film festivals nationwide and worldwide. It’s also the 3rd Indian nominee for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
>>> Watch Lagaan: Once upon a time in India on IMDb
4. Mohenjo Daro
Mohenjo Daro is a well-known epic romantic-adventure film whose director is Ashutosh Gowarikar.
The movie’s shooting is done in Daro, an ancient town of Mohenjo, during the Indus Valley Civilization.
Mohenjo Daro portrays the period of historical events which are gathered by the available historical data and numerous archeologists. The film will take you into an imaginative world of the past about which you only heard and read.
>>> Watch Mohenjo Daro on IMDb
5. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
The truth remains that biopics have existed for quite some time in Bollywood; however, it appears that film buffs have fewer chances of seeing living legends like Milkha Singh on the small screen.
It’s gratifying to note that this great Olympian himself has validated Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and highly appreciated the efforts and sincerity which went into its creation. It’s not exaggerating when saying that this is a landmark movie in the current generation of cinema at least.
The reason we list Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in this list of best historical movies in Bollywood is that it started in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
>>> Watch Bhaag Milkha Bhaag on IMDb
6. Kahaani
Kahaani’s director Sujoy Ghosh stars Vidya Balan as the protagonist of the film - Vidya Bagchi. The storyline of Kahaani is quite intense. Vidya Bagchi faked her pregnancy and tried to look for her missing husband.
Kahaani is definitely a delightful blend of entertainment which is full of nice twists and turns.
7. Airlift
This movie draws the life in 1990 when 170,000 Indians were stranded in Kuwait during the invasion of Iraq. Airlift follows a Kuwait-based businessman called “Ranjit Katyal” who carried out the evacuation of these people.
8. Special 26
Our list of historical movies in Bollywood cannot miss Special 26 (or Special Chabbis), a 2013 heist movie directed by Neeraj Pandey. The film is premised on the 1987 Opera House heist where a gang disguising as CBI officers carried out a daring income tax raid on the jeweler in Bombay (Mumbai).
9. Veer
The movie is about Veer Pratap Singh – a Pindari prince who desired to run in the footsteps of his father by freeing the country from the British colonial power. However, Veer encountered the opposition from Gyanendra Singh, King of Madhavgarh, who regarded him as a threat to his kingdom.
Therefore, Veer kidnapped his daughter - Princess Yashodhara who he found himself in love with. So, was the couple able to keep their love strong enough to overcome the family rivals? Find the answer in the film.
10. The Ghazi Attack
The last name in today’s list of top 10 historical movies in Bollywood is The Ghazi Attack that is known as the first underwater film made in India.
This is likewise a trilingual movie made in Hindi, Telegu and Tamil. The story is narrated in Telegu by “Chiranjeevi” and in Hindi by Amitabh Bachchan.
The plot develops around an executive naval officer and his team who are underwater for 18 days. This blockbuster is inspired by true events of the Indo-Pakistani war in 1971.