Along with ‘Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’, there are a lot of Bollywood films that were inspired by historical events, including the Gujarat riots and the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. (Instagram)
While Bollywood films are often seen as entertainment and larger than life fictional tales, there are a few that have been made to inspire and retell events from history to the public. As ‘Satluj’ takes center stage online amid its ongoing controversy, here is a list of some of the best Bollywood films that were inspired by real life events in history.
‘Satluj’ by Honey Trehan (2026)
The film which has taken the internet by storm due to its surrounding controversy tells the true tale of activist human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The film explores how he investigated the illegal cremations and their corrupt political connections that occured in the 1990s in Punjab during the insurgency era. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role and was recently released on ZEE5. However, for now the film has been removed from the platform.
‘Parzania’ by Rahul Dholakia (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) goes missing during the riots, specifically after the Gulbarg Society massacre. The movie is based on the family’s journey to find their son admist the political turmoil and violent events that were happening all around. The film 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 leading role is another retelling of historical events related to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Specifically it revolves around the life of Indian statesman Sir C. Sankaran Nair, who was formerly a Viceroy’s Executive Council member. However, after the massacre in 1919, he resigned from his post, and even fought a case in London against the main perpetrator of the massacre, Michael O’Dwyer. The film is available on JioHotstar.
‘Sardar Udham’ by Shoojit Sircar (2021)
Shoojit Sircar’s film was a fictionalized retelling of Indian revolutionary Udham Singh. The film follows his tale spanning across almost two decades to get revenge against Michael O’Dwyer, the man who backed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre which occured on April 13, 1919. The film dives between two timelines, one set in 1940s London, where Udham Singh hashes out a plan to assassinate Michael O’Dwyer, while the other goes back to the massacre and his life as a youngster in British India. Vicky Kaushal leads the role of the revolutionary. The film is available for streaming on Prime Video.
‘Shahid’ by Hansal Mehta (2012)
Starring Rajkumar Rao in the lead role, ‘Shahid’ was based on the real life of lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi. He was once an ordinary citizen; however, once he sees the atrocities that some people face after being falsely accused, he goes on to become a lawyer to fight for those who have been falsely accused of terrorism. He helped countless people get justice up until his assassination in 2010. The film is available on Prime Video. Go to Source
