Independence Day Special: Most patriotic films in Telugu cinema

The Telugu film industry has churned out many patriotic films over the years. Even though this genre has become rare nowadays, some filmmakers still seek inspiration from this genre to uplift spirits and fill Indians with a sense of pride. And, what better time to list these films that instil patriotism, than on Independence Day? To celebrate the country's 72nd Independence day, we take a look at the best Telugu films that make us want to keep our national flag flying high.

'Alluri Seetarama Raju', the Krishna starrer is patriotic for confronting and redefining Indian pride. Based on the life of a popular freedom fighter of the same name, the film follows his fight against the British officials and their rule which resulted in a lot of bloodshed. Set between 1922–24, the story takes place during the independence movement in the Madras Presidency. While inspiring the lives of many, Raju led his troop in a battle against the British. ‘Alluri Seetarama Raju’ had a run of 175 days at the time and went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year.

Maverick director Shankar beautifully captures pre-independence India and its triumph over the British in this classic film. Legendary actor Kamal Haasan essayed dual roles of a father ex-Indian Army official Senapathy, and son RTO officer, Chandra Bose simultaneously. While Senapathy decides to teach corrupt officials a lesson, his son Chandra Bose doesn’t do his work diligently while accepting bribes. Senapathy fights tirelessly against corrupt officers, eventually kidnapping and murdering them. The gripping story of the ex-Indian Army official, ‘Bharateeyudu’ is widely considered as one of the greatest movies of all time.

'Khadgam', the award-winning film of director Krishna Vamsi has the perfect Tollywood commercial film treatment that breathes life to this iconic subject. This star-studded production tells the heroic story of an aspiring Hindu actor, a Muslim auto driver and a senior cop, who fights off attacks from Pakistan terrorists. The film received nine prestigious awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Prakash Raj, Best Supporting Actress for Sangeetha, Best Villain for Shafi, Best Director for Krishna Vamsi, and even Best Makeup for Kishore.

Possibly one of the best patriotic films of Tollywood, ‘Mahatma’ was directed by Krishna Vamsi and starred Srikanth as a small time rowdy man Dasu, who causes disruption in society and later turns into a good, responsible citizen. As the title suggests, the film centres on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi - ‘be patient, be congruent, be authentic and be your true self.’ The movie has it all - emotional scenes, sacrifice, good soundtracks and more than a couple of tearjerker scenes. It will leave you feeling proud of being an Indian and wanting to do something for society.

Released in 2005, 'Subhash Chandra Bose' stars Victory Venkatesh as the freedom fighter, Subash Chandra Bose alias Chandram and Ashok (dual role). The K Raghavendra Rao directorial about the Indian independence struggle is perhaps one of the most obvious choices for this list. Though its theme is far from accurate, its emphasis on patriotism is inspiring. Although the film bombed at the box office, Venkatesh received many accolades for his performance and the film created a deep emotional impact on people's minds.

'Parama Veera Chakra', the Nandamuri Balakrishna starrer might not have the makings of some other historic flicks, but the rousing speech towards the end is worth it! Emotional and powerful, this film has withstood the test of time for a good reason. ‘Parama Veera Chakra’ tells the story of an army commander who is bounding by his duties and leads a plot to bring down a vicious framework of powerful people and their plans for destruction.