There are hundreds of Indian flicks about the freedom movement of India films like The Legends of Bhagat Singh, Shaheed, Sardar.
Now, we are going to share some different kinds of films, which are produced in India and sets in British India, but not specifically about the Indian freedom movement.
These films share the parallel side of that era, how people were dealing with Britishers and how other deeds were happening at the same time.
Most of them are fictional stories, but quite fascinating.
Movies sets In British India but Not About The Independence Movement
Lagaan (2001)
Lagaan surely was a film about British cruelty and their ethics in India but was not exactly about the freedom movement. Lagaan is based on Cricket Game.
Lagaan is a story of a village in India, people of the village are poor and they couldn’t pay the taxes.
They get the offer to play a game of cricket, and if they win the match they will not have to pay any taxes for 3 years.
Lagaan won many national and international awards for its unique story and the theme of the film.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy (2015)
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is the first Hindi film based on the famous detective character Byomkesh Bakshi created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay.
All the stories of Byomkesh Bakshi are sets in British India, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy stars Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead role as Byomkesh.
It is about the murder mystery which Byomkesh solves, at the same time we were under British rule.
1942: A Love Story (1994)
All the films which are sets in British India will have some touch of the Freedom Movement, but the main plot of the film is not about the Indian Independence Movement.
The film sets in 1942 when British Raj was declining and people are getting their voice stronger against the Britishers.
One man falls in love and the whole love story revolves around the chaos of that time.
It stars Anil Kapoor and Manish Koirala as the main starcast.
Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)
Shatranj Ke Khilari is directed by the legendary director Satyajit Ray, it sets in the time when East India Company was about to gain their control over Awadh kingdom.
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (Amjad Khan) is unable to handle the situation, at the same time two rich people of Awadh leave their family and everything to play the game of chess.
They are highly obsessed with the game of chess and they have left everything and neglected the whole situation. It was Ray’s way of telling how rich people neglected the rise of some Britishers, which caused the 200 years of slavery later.
Also Read: Best Bollywood Movies about Indian History
Laal Kaptaan (2019)
Laal Kaptaan starring Saif Ali Khan in the lead role. He is a bounty hunter people call him Gossain or Naga Sadhu. He is on a killing spree and looking for the man Rehmat Khan.
It sets in the time when Britishers were gaining control over the Marathas and Marathas are trying to save their territories.
Laal Kaptaan failed at the box office, but people were applauding the performance of Saif Ali Khan.
Tumbbad (2018)
The film is a periodic horror drama film starring Sohum Shah in the lead roles, although it was not a successful film at the box office.
It attained cult status amongst the audience after the release on Prime Video.
Tumbbad sets in 1947 era just before the Indian Independence, but nothing related to the freedom movement shown in the film, It was about greed and wealth with a great message for mankind.
In my opinion, Tumbbad was the greatest film of 2018 and I would say it is one of the most satisfying films ever made in Indian cinema.
Mirch Masala (1987)
This is one of the highest-rated Ketan Mehta’s films. It stars Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah in the lead roles.
Naseeruddin Shah is a subedar of Britishers, he collects taxes from villages. He got his eye on Sonbai (Smita Patil). He wants her at any cost, but she is a brave, intelligent and strong woman.
The film is about the oppression of the subedar in villages and how the ladies of a village deal with it at the end. Mirch Masala is one of the Best Films produced by NFDC.
Also Read:
Massey Sahib (1985)
We have seen many films in which Indian freedom fighters deal with the other Indians who are working for Britishers. Massey Francis serving at the District Collector’s office as a clerk.
He aspires to be like the colonial rulers and he does everything to impress his boss to gain more confidence.
Massey Sahab is one of the best Hindi films made in Parallel cinema.
Water (2005)
Water is directed by Deepa Mehta starring Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham. The screenplay was written by Anurag Kashyap.
The film shares the story of a girl, after the demise of her husband, she is forced to live in an ashram in Varanasi.
Water shares the lives of the widows living in the ashram, the film sets in 1939 when India was busy in fighting against the Britishers.
Your Turn!
Our Hindi film industry is huge, we may have missed some of the greatest films set in British India. If you know more of such films, then do comments names in the comment section.
