10 Bollywood Movies Inspired By Real-life Stories

Reality is the most coveted theme in Bollywood right now. From churning out biopics to drawing inspiration from real-life incidents, movies are riding the ‘reality’ wave in a bid to rake in big moolah. Although it is not a box office hit, the recently released Gulaab Gang, starring Madhuri Dixit Nene and Juhi Chawla, is said to be inspired by Sampat Pal Devi and her Gulabi Gang, a group of Indian women vigilantes and activists. Another biopic based on Olympic medallist Mary Kom is coming up soon and promises to make waves. But before that, let us take a look at some of the most popular movies inspired by real life.

1. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
One of the biggest hits of 2013 starring Farhan Akhtar, this is a biopic of Milkha Singh, the Flying Sikh of India. The flick goes beyond the obvious and highlights the lesser-known facts of the legendary athlete’s life, thus introducing the Indian sports hero to the Gen Y. Farhan is spectacular in his role while Milkha Singh has sold the rights of the movie for Re 1. However, a share of the profits goes to Milkha Singh Charitable Trust.

2. The Attacks of 26/11
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, this docudrama is based on the gory Mumbai attacks of 2008. The movie focuses on the series of events that took place on this fateful day. The movie revolves around the terrorist attacks and Ajmal Kasab, the prime radical, who was caught. RGV relies on police statements, eyewitnesses and the court evidence to bring in a pretty close presentation of reality.

3. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara
A sequel to 2010’s Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, the movie is inspired by the animosity between gangsters Dawood Ibrahim and Chota Rajan. Despite a lot of hype, this gangster saga turned out to be a flop. Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan and Sonakshi Sinha played lead roles in the film.

4. The Dirty Picture
Starring Vidya Balan, this one is a biopic of the southern sex siren, Silk Smitha, and offers a heavy dose of entertainment. Vidya has done an admirable job here and played a perfect seductress. She did her best to get into the skin of the character, which also required her to put on oodles of flab.

5. Special 26
Starring Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher, this film was inspired by a real life incident that took place in Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar in 1987. In the movie, a group on conmen posing as CBI officers executes a daylight income tax raid. The film also stars Manoj Bajpayee and Jimmy Shergill, and has won plenty of critical acclaim.

6. Paan Singh Tomar
Another gem of a movie starring Irrfan Khan. This is a biopic of an athlete, Paan Singh Tomar, who was employed with the Indian Armed Forces. The film weaves the real life incidents that forced Paan Singh to quit the defence services and his dream of becoming an internationally acclaimed athlete, and take to guns instead.

7. Satyagraha – Democracy Under Fire
A political thriller starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor, this flick is loosely based on Anna Hazare’s fight against corruption. While Big B plays the role of Anna, Kareena’s character is inspired by the international journalist, Christian Amanpour.

8. No One Killed Jessica
This political crime thriller is a screen adaptation of the much publicised Jessica Lal murder case. While Vidya Balan plays Jessica’s elder sister, Rani Mukherjee is the spunky news reporter. The film has been widely appreciated for making the point quite poignantly and has bagged many prestigious awards.

9. Not a Love Story
This film starring Mahie Gill and Deepak Dobriyal is based on the ghastly murder of Neeraj Grover that led to the arrest of Maria Susairaj and M.L. Jerome. Director Ram Gopal Varma shot the movie in just 20 days at Dheeraj Solitaire building, which is the prime location of the incident.

10. Guru
It has not been stated officially but Guru, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, takes inspiration from the life and times of India’s celebrated business tycoon, Dhirubhai Ambani. It portrays the journey of an ordinary man growing up to become one of the most powerful businessmen, with absolute faith in his dreams.

Image: Indiatimes