Shaheed Diwas 2022: From Ajay Devgn's Legend of Bhagat Singh to Rang De Basanti - Films based on freedom fighter's life!

In our country, there are as many as 7 days marked in the calendar declared as 'Martyr's Day', in honour of those who sacrificed their lives for the nation. The anniversary of the deaths of freedom fighters 'Shaheed' Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru on March 23, 1931, in Lahore, is declared to be Martyr's Day. Besides March 23, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, January 30, is also marked as Shaheed Diwas. On Shaheed Diwas today, let's go down memory lane and take a look at Bollywood films based on the life of Bhagat Singh, who loved his nation to the utmost level. 

Veteran actor-director Manoj Kumar played the key role of Bhagat Singh in this 1965 film directed by S Ram Sharma. It won the 13th National Awards, besides winning Best Feature Film in Hindi, Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration and Best Story. 

In 2002, Sonu Sood's 'Shaheed-e-Azam' was also released. It was directed by Sukumar Nair and was the first one to be released on-screen that year. 

In 1954, the first-ever film on 'Shaheed' was made by Jagdish Gautama. It featured Prem Abeed, Jairaj, Smriti Biswas and Ashita Mazumdar in lead roles. The iconic song ‘Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Ab Hamaare Dil Mein Hai’ sung by the late legendary singer Mohammed Rafi is remembered even today. 

In 1963, Shammi Kapoor starrer Shaheed Bhagat Singh film was made by KN Bansal. 

The same year, another film on the life of 'Shaheed' Bhagat Singh was made, featuring Bobby Deol in the titular role. It was directed by Guddu Dhanao. Brother Sunny Deol played Chandrasekhar Azad while Amrita Singh played Bhagat Singh's mother on-screen.

Written, produced and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, and co-written by Rensil D'Silva, this film reignited the spirit of patriotism among the youth. It came out in 2006 and had an ensemble star cast with a unique blend of storyline linking college going students with Shaheed Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters. Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi, Cyrus Sahukar, Kunal Kapoor, R Madhavan, Waheeda Rehman and British actress Alice Patten played key roles. It showed how a foreign student in her quest to document the story of five freedom fighters of the Indian revolutionary movement finds her way in the country. 

The Legend Of Bhagat Singh starring Ajay Devgn in the lead role of the freedom fighter released in 2002 and was directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. It bagged two National awards that year.