22 Best Hindi Movies Based on True Stories and Real Life

Airlift

Well, most of the real-life-based films discussed above garnered huge accolades from critics but either failed or performed averagely at the Box Office. Also, most of the movies above hardly had a superstar in the film. But, all that changes with the release of Airlift which starred Akshay Kumar in the lead role as Ranjit Katyal.

Ranjit Katyal is a character based on Mathunny Mathews, who played a key role in the evacuation of 1,70,000 Indians from Kuwait during the Invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Directed by Raja Krishna Menon, the film also stars the highly talented Nimrat Kaur.

Satya

Satya is the first film of the Ram Gopal Varma’s Gangster trilogy, which is highly based on the real life D-Company, an Indian mafia organization run by Dawood Ibrahim. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the film stars J.D. Chakravarthy in the titular role alongside the interesting characters of Bhiku Matre, played by Manoj Bajpayee, and Kallu Mama played by Saurabh Shukla. In addition to this, the film cast also includes the likes of Paresh Rawal, Urmila Matondkar, Aditya Srivastava, Govind Namdeo, Shefali Shetty, Makrand Deshpande and many others. The film is even today known for its famous Kallu Mama Song.

Aandhi

Aandhi is a 1975 Hindi political drama film based on the life of the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her relationship with her estranged husband. However, it was not formally accepted by the filmmakers and they simply agreed that only the look of Suchitra Sen’s character Aarti Devi in the film was inspired by Indira Gandhi. In those days, it was foolish to take aims at Indira Gandhi and the filmmakers made the right move to nullify the claims about the similarity of Aandhi with her life. Yet, the film was banned and released only once Indira Gandhi was defeated in the 1977 national elections. The film also starred Sanjeev Kumar as the husband of Aarti Devi.

Shootout At Wadala

Shootout At Wadala is the second film in the Shootout film series and also a prequel to its first film Shootout At Lokhandwala. The film is based on the encounter, where the Mumbai Police shot Manya Surve, a gangster from Mumbai Underworld. Directed by Sanjay Gupta, the film features an ensemble cast of Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Kangana Ranaut, Manoj Bajpayee, Sonu Sood, Tusshar Kapoor, Ronit Roy, and many others.

Firaaq

Almost every movie on our list is based on a single event or life. However, Firaaq is an exception. The film is a political thriller that showcases the life of the people after the 2002 violence in Gujarat, India. Set one month after the riots, the film shares thousands of different true stories displaying the aftermath and effect on the lives of everyday people. Directed by Nandita Das, the film features an ensemble star cast of Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, Paresh Rawal, Sanjay Suri, Raghubir Yadav, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shahana Goswami, Tisca Chopra, and Amruta Subhash.

Special 26

Special 26 is one of its kind heist thriller film starring Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Jimmy Shergill, Divya Dutta, and Manoj Bajpayee in pivotal roles. The reason why this film stands out from the other heist films is the fact that it is based on the real life 1987 Opera House heist in Mumbai, where a group of men posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers raided a Jeweller in Mumbai and took away around 30 to 35 lakhs of jewelry and cash within 45 minutes. The film is a must-watch for the brilliant acting and screenplay that keeps you intrigued throughout the film.

Neerja

Yet again, we have saved the best for the last. Well, not everyone would believe that Neerja is the best film of the lot but I consider it as the best because of the legendary lady, the film is based on. Yes, Neerja is a film tribute to the heroics of Neerja Bhanot, India’s youngest braveheart. The film tells us the story about how Neerja, played by Sonam Kapoor, risked her life and saved hundreds of passengers during a hijack attempt on Pan Am Flight 73 flying from Mumbai to the United States on September 5, 1986. She was shot multiple times while trying to shield three American children from a hail of bullets of the hijackers.

Your Turn!

Now, Share your favorite Hindi Movies Based on True Stories and Real Life of People. This list of Bollywood Movies on Real life events is created by Filmy Keeday Team. You can add more Movies in the comment section.