11 Best Bollywood Movies Based On True Stories And Events

From Uri to Padmaavat and many others, there are numerous Bollywood blockbusters inspired by true events or personal stories. Whether it is a tragedy, a tale of underdogs becomes successful against the odds or some of the darkest moment of history, these films take all of the facts and turn them into something that will inspire, amaze and haunt you for the longest time.

Here is the list of Bollywood greatest films based on real-life stories over the past few years.

1. Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)

Featuring Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam and Paresh Rawal in the lead roles, the movie relives the 11-day surgical strike of Indian Army against Pakistani militants in 2016.

2. Raazi (2018)

Raazi is another Vicky Kaushal starer which based on Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat. It revolving around a real-life event amidst the Indo - Pakistan War in 1971 when a Kashmir girl gets married to a Pakistani army officer just to spy his country. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the movie also stars Alia Bhatt, Rajit Kapoor, and Soni Razdan in the main leads.

3. Stree (2018)

The horror film takes inspiration from an urban myth called "Nale Ba" (come tomorrow) which was doing rounds in Bengaluru in the ‘90s. It is believed that there is a witch who calls and kidnaps men at night.  

4. Padmaavat (2018)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has made an Indian epic drama film which star Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles. Telling the legends about a Rajput queen called Padmavati, the Bollywood blockbuster became one of the second highest grossing movies of 2018 with Rs 300 core at the box office.

5. Padman (2018)

The year of 2018 witnessed the release of several inspirational movies and Padman is one of them. The comedy-drama follows the story of a Tamil Nadu man named Arunachalam Muruganantham (played by Akshay Kumar). He created a machine to produce low-budget sanitary napkins and tried to introduce them to women.

6. Aligarh (2016)

The Hansal Mehta directional tells the true story of Ramchandra Siras (played by Manoj Bajpayee), a gay professor whose sexual orientation was detected after a sting operation. The movie also features Sukhesh Arora, Rajkummar Rao and Balaji Gauri in the main leads.

7. Airlift (2016)

The historical drama film focuses on the life of an Indian businessman from Kuwait who supported his people in the mass evacuation during the 1990 Gulf War. Apart from Akshay Kumar, the movie also stars Nimrat Kaur and Kumud Mishra in the main leads.

8. Bajirao Mastani (2015)

From Ranveer Singh to Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra, the historical romance film sees three of the biggest Bollywood stars teaming up together for an epic story. Ranveer Singh is seen in the role of the Maratha leader, who got married to Kashibai (Priyanka Chopra) but then fall in love with the warrior princess Mastani (Deepika Padukone).

9. Talvar (2015)

The thriller drama film is inspired by the 2008 Noida double murder case when a 13-year-old girl Aarushi Talwar and 45-year-old domestic worker Hemraj Banjade were murdered inside Asrushi’s house. The movie is helmed by female director Meghna Gulzar and feature Irrfan Khan in the lead role.

10. Special 26 (2013)

Basing on the 1987 Opera House burglary in Mumbai, Special 26 focuses on a group of 26 robbers who pose as Central Bureau of Investigation officers to stole most exclusive jewelry from the store. The crime thriller stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role with Manoj Bajpayee, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Sheirgil, Kajal Aggarwal, and Divya Dutta in supporting roles.

11. Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (2010)

Starring Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut, and Emraan Hashmi in the lead roles, the crime thrillers sets in the ‘70s when a young man called Shoaib Khan (Emraan Hashmi) intends to take over the position of  Sultan Mirza (Ajay Devgn), the rising smuggler of Mumbai.