102 Years Of The Brutal Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Gandhi, Rang De Basanti, And 4 Other Films That Recreated This Spine-Chilling Incident
As this year marks the 102nd anniversary of the brutal Jallianwala Bagh massacre, take a look at the films that have recreated the spine-chilling scene.
April 13 is a dark day in the history of India. April 13 1919 is the day when the brutal Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in Amritsar, Punjab. Whenever we are reminded of the chilling details of the cruel misdeed by the British, it still sends us in a state of disbelief and shock. This year marks 102 years of the inhuman event. Over the years, six Indian patriotic films and the films that revolve around the timeline of the British rule in India, have recreated the spine-chilling massacre scene. Take a look at the list of the films.
Gandhi
A still from the film
The Oscar-winning biopic of Mahatma Gandhi, which starred Ben Kingsley in the title role, had recreated the massacre scene with intricate details. Director Richard Attenborough had done a great job in recreating the scene and succeeded in conveying the harsh emotions of the event to the film’s audience.
The Legend of Bhagat Singh
Still from the film
Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the biopic based on the great Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, recreated the Jallianwala Bagh massacre scene to show that the incident motivated a young, 12-yrs-old Bhagat Singh to begin his fight for India’s independence from the ruthless British.
Jallian Wala Bagh (1977)
Source: Stills from the film
Directed by Balraj Tah, the 1977 film revolves around the entire scenario around the 1919 massacre, the events before the massacre, and the revolution caused after it. It also shows the life of Sardar Udham Singh, the freedom fighter who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab under whose tenure, the massacre was conducted.
Phillauri
A still from the film
The fantasy drama film of 2017, directed by Anshai Lal, starring Anushka Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh, and Suraj Sharma, also recreates a brief moment of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It is shown that it was in the massacre that Diljit Dosanjh’s character, Roop Lal, lost his life.
Midnight’s Children
Source: Instagram
Based on the novel of the same name by Salman Rushdie, the film Midnight’s Children, directed by Deepa Mehta, revolves around the lives of two children who are born just a few minutes after India’s independence is declared. Both the book and the film have a glimpse of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Rang De Basanti
Stills from the film
The 2006 multi-star cast film, revolves around the lives of some college students who are roped in by a British film student, to star in her film about the freedom fighters of India. The film has multiple metaphors which show parallels of the modern world to British rule. It also recreates the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and shows it as a parallel to the modern-day, where a corrupt politician is shown as the cruel General Dyer.
After Jallian Wala Bagh (1977), another film about the freedom fighter Sardar Udham Singh is currently in the works. It will be directed by Shoojit Sircar and will star Vicky Kaushal in the title role and will revolve around the life of the revolutionary who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
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