5 Top Rated Movies To Watch On Independence Day 2026: Lagaan, Bhagat Sigh, Sardar Udham To Rang De Basanti

India is celebrating the 80th Independence Day on August 15, 2026. It's a weekend, and what could be better than enjoying the national day with some of the most rated and patriotic classic movies of India? From Lagaan and Bhagat Singh to Rang De Basanti, here is a list of the top 5 movies that revolve around freedom fighting. The list is diverse, including past, revolutionary, and progressing India.

Some of these movies are over two decades old and yet relevant, touching key topics like freedom fighting, hard work, and a never-giving-up ideology. That being said, let's dive into it!

1. Lagaan:

When we think about patriotic movies on national celebrations, the 2001-released Lagaan is a classic pick to this date. The movie is set in 1893 at the time of the late Victorian period of British colonial rule in India.

The movie's story revolves around the citizens of a village in central India, who were burdened with immense drought and hefty taxes for several years. A British Indian Army officer, Captain Andrew, challenges the inhabitants for a game of cricket, and if they win, they can avoid the taxes due to them.

Led by Bhuvan, played by Aamir Khan, the entire village learns the alien game, cricket, as it was a do-or-die situation for them. The British army was confident of a victory in their favor, but the villagers were hungry for a win. And to everyone's surprise, colored in mathrabhumi (motherland), the villagers won the match.

The cast includes Aamir Khan in the main lead, alongside co-stars Gracy Singh and British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne. Apart from them, fans heavily applauded the performances of many side characters such as Goli, which was played by Daya Shankar Pandey; Ismail, played by Rajendranath Zutshi; Deva, played by Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat; Bagha, played by Amin Hajee; Kachra, played by Aditya Lakhia; Lakha, played by Yashpal Sharma; and Bhura, played by Raghubir Yadav. Not to forget Suhasini Mulay, Akhilendra and Rajesh Upadhyay's contribution was also appreciated.

Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and produced by Aamir Khan, Lagaan was a tale of sports, drama, struggles of the poor, and their sheer will to fight for their freedom from the brutality of the British empire.

More than 26 years have passed, and yet Lagaan is a movie of pride and patriotism, holding an 8.10/10 rating at IMDB.

In simple words, it's a must-watch!

2. The Legend of Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh needs no introduction. A Punjabi Jat Sikh, born during the time of British rule, who grew up witnessing their atrocities and extreme brutality around him. Although young at heart but dead serious for fighting for the freedom of his people, Bhagat Singh became a revolutionary at a teenage age. He carried numerous attacks on Britishers and even went on hunger strike. He was just 23 when he was martyred, becoming a freedom fighter and hero for the entire nation.

The Legend of Bhagat Singh, a movie released in 2002, with a strong cast of Ajay Devgan as Bhagat Singh alongside Sushant Singh as Sukhdev Thapar, Akhilendra Mishra as Chandra Shekhar Azad, D. Santosh as Shivaram Rajguru, and Bhaswar Chatterjee as Batukeshwar Dutt among others. This movie sheds light on the life of Bhagat Singh till his death.

The movie is rated at 8.2/10 at IMDB.

3. Swades

Swades is yet another classic direction of Ashutosh Gowariker. This movie is rather different and takes place in the progressing nation of India. Although it was not a success at the box office, Swades is still appreciated by the Indian audiences and has a rating of 8.10/10 at IMDB.

The movie sheds light on the dire situations at small remote villages in India, filled with lower opportunities for girls, caste discrimination, and basic amenities like electricity or drinking water. Shahrukh Khan, who plays the role of Mohan Bhargava, along with his co-star Gayatri Joshi who played the female lead, Geeta, went on the path to improve the village with education and welfare.

4. Rang De Basanti

Rang De Basanti was a record-breaker when it released in 2006. A movie depicting two worlds but somehow correlated with the revolutionary spirit. There are six main characters in this movie: Aamir Khan as Daljeet DJ or Chandrashekhar Azad, Siddharth as Karan "R" or Bhagat Singh, Sharman Joshi as Sukhi or Rajguru, and Kunal Kapoor as Ashfaqullah Khan or Aslam. The female leads include Soha Ali Khan as Durga Vohra or Sonia and Alice Patten as Sue McKinley. The other cast members include R. Madhavan, Atul Kulkarni, and Waheeda Rehman.

The movie starts with Sue, who discovers her late grandfather's diary, where he writes about his time in the British army in India. Her grandfather mentions he oversaw the execution of Indian freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru at Lahore Jail. But the diary also reveals her grandfather's profound admiration for the Indian freedom fighters' revolutionary spirit. So she travels to India to make a documentary. She first meets with Sonia, who has a friend circle that is carefree, disillusioned with their futures, and has no interest in patriotic projects. But they agree to partake in the documentary, playing the roles of the freedom fighters.

As they acted, they began to internalize the idealism of the historical figures they portray. Amidst this, they are met with a tragedy when Sonia's fiancé, a co-pilot, dies in a plane crash. The government blamed it on the pilot and tried to hide the main reason. Angered and filled with revolutionary spirit, they protest against the Defence minister.

The film explores the youth in the best way possible, something that even the Gen Zs can relate to despite it being a 20-year-old movie. Rang De Basanti has an 8.1/10 rating.

5. Sardar Udham

Unlike the above four nostalgic movies, Sardar Udham is among the latest patriotic movies. Released in 2021, Sardar Udham is an action-packed spy movie.

The narrative utilizes a non-linear structure, alternating between the 1940s in London, where revolutionary Udham Singh plans a high-profile assassination, and his formative years in British India as a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). The film was also noted for its realistic portrayal of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, being depicted in an extended and graphic sequence. Sardar Udham was listed by several publications as one of the best Hindi films of 2021, and subsequently won five National Film Awards including Best Feature Film In Hindi, as well as nine Filmfare Awards, as per Wikipedia.

The cast includes Vicky Kaushal in the title role, along with Shaun Scott, Stephen Hogan, Amol Parashar, Banita Sandhu and Kirsty Averton in supporting roles.

On IMDB, it has 8.3/10 rating.