While Bollywood movies are often seen as entertainment and larger than life stories, there are some that are made to inspire and retell events from history to the public. As ‘Satluj’ takes center stage online amid its ongoing controversy, here’s a list of some of the best Bollywood films inspired by real-life historical events.
‘Satluj’ by Honey Trehan (2026)
The movie that broke the internet due to the controversy surrounding it tells the true story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The film explores how he investigates illegal cremations and their corrupt political connections that took place in 1990s Punjab during the insurgency. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role and was recently released on ZEE5. However, currently the film has been pulled from the platform.
Rahul Dholakia’s ‘Parzania’ (2007)
‘Parzania’ is based on the real-life Gujrat riots that took place in 2002. Shot in Ahemdabad and Hyderabad, the film is based on Rupa Mody, a Parsi woman, whose son, Azhar Mody (Parzaan Pithawala) went missing during the riots, especially after the Gulbarg Society massacre. The movie is based on a family’s journey to find their son after the political upheaval and violent events happening around. The movie is available on JioHotstar.
‘Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh’ by Karan Singh Tyagi (2025)
‘Kesari Chapter 2’ starring Akshay Kumar in the lead role is another retelling of the historical events related to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It specifically revolves around the life of Indian statesman Sir C. Sankaran Nair, who was a former member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council. However, after the massacre in 1919, he resigned his post, and even fought a case in London against the main perpetrator of the massacre, Michael O’Dwyer. The movie is available on JioHotstar.
Shoojit Sircar’s ‘Sardar Udham’ (2021)
Shoojit Sircar’s film is a fictionalized retelling of Indian revolutionary Udham Singh. The movie follows his story that lasted almost two decades to take revenge against Michael O’Dwyer, the man behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that happened on April 13, 1919. The movie dives between two timelines, one set in 1940s London, where Udham Singh plans to take his life, Michael O’D another person. in British India. Vicky Kaushal is playing the lead role of the revolutionary. The film is available for streaming on Prime Video.
Hansal Mehta’s ‘Shahid’ (2012)
Starring Rajkumar Rao in the lead role, ‘Shahid’ is based on the real life of lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi. He was an ordinary citizen before; however, once he saw the atrocities some people faced after being falsely accused, he continued to become a lawyer to fight for people wrongly accused of terrorism. He helped countless people get justice until his murder in 2010. The film is available on Prime Video.