Check Out our Best Patriotic Picks to Enjoy this Republic Day

MUMBAI: The occasion of Republic Day is upon us, and with it comes traditions like flag hoisting, parades and songs which commemorate our love for the motherland. To help invoke our patriotic spirit, here’s a special selection of audiobooks, movies and shows. Celebrate the 72nd anniversary of India's constitution coming into effect with the retelling of timeless stories of our freedom struggle. From tales of brave soldiers to stories with anecdotes from our forefathers, this is the perfect list to binge on Republic Day.

Yoddha (Available on Audible Suno)

Yoddha is a 30-episode series created and performed by Neelesh Misra. This series celebrates the bravery of the Indian Armed Forces, chronicling soldiers’ fierce sense of duty against impossible odds. The stories also reveal their personal lives and sacrifice and the courage of their family members.

Indian Summer (Available on Audible.in)

Steeped in the private papers and reflections of the participants, Indian Summer reveals how the acts of a few players changed the lives of millions and determined the fate of nations.

The Indian Army (Available on Audible.in)

Lieutenant General H. S. Panag, as a writer who straddles the serious and the idyllic with equal ease, he unequivocally condemns the tying of a citizen to the bonnet of an army jeep in Kashmir in 2017 in one piece, and in another tells the intensely passionate, albeit tragic love story of a soldier and a Kashmiri girl.  As candid as it is incisive, The Indian Army is a must-listen for every Indian who has stopped to think about the powerful institution that the army is.

Inglorious Empire (Available on Audible.in)

Shashi Tharoor shows how Britain's Industrial Revolution was founded on India's deindustrialisation and the destruction of its textile industry. In this bold and incisive reassessment of colonialism, Tharoor exposes to devastating effect the inglorious reality of Britain's stained Indian legacy.

The End of India (Available on Audible.in)

A brave and passionate book, The End of India, is a wake-up call for every citizen concerned about his or her own future, if not the nation’s.

The Man Who Saved India (Available on Audible.in)

The Man Who Saved India is a sweeping, magisterial retelling of Sardar Patel's story. With fiercely detailed and pugnacious anecdotes, multiple award-winning, best-selling writer Hindol Sengupta brings alive Patel's determined life of struggle and his furious commitment to keep India safe. Hindol Sengupta's The Man Who Saved India, is destined to define Patel's legacy for future generations.

Lakshya (Available on Netflix & Amazon Prime Video)

This is a story that talks about a young lazy boy, Karan Shergill (Hrithik Roshan), who has no aim in life and later transforms himself into a responsible army officer. The movie depicts Karan's true dedication towards his goal because of his love, Romi (Preity Zinta). Soon, Romi gets engaged to another man. The lovers meet again in Kargil where Karan is at war. Will the two re-unite again?

Kashmir The Story (Available on Amazon Prime Video)

Kashmir The Story is a documentary which gives an insight into the conflict-ridden region, showcasing facts as they are. The purely observational piece of storytelling is an honest attempt to showcase life in the valley.

Raazi (Available on Amazon Prime Video)

Set in 1971, when the winds of war were blowing between India and Pakistan, Raazi – an adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s novel “Calling Sehmat” – is a true-life story involving a 20 year old Kashmiri girl, played by Alia Bhatt. 

The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye (Available on Amazon Prime Video)

The Forgotten Army is a true epic war series about the Indian soldiers from the Azad Hind Fauj who marched 3,884 kms from Singapore to Delhi to free their country from the British. Led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, they fought against their size and scale but were labelled by the then ruling establishment as traitors. Experience an action packed series which recreates this momentous juncture in history.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (Available on Netflix)

The film is inspired by the true story of Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena, which takes you on the journey of India’s first woman combat aviator who went all guns blazing into the heart of the war zone in Kargil (1999). It shows that while life threw many curveballs at Gunjan, she took it with pride and yet went ahead to serve the country in what were called one of the darkest times of the nation.

Aiyaary (Available on Netflix)

When a military intelligence officer goes rogue with highly sensitive information about the country in his hands, it is upon his mentor to end what he began. What follows next is a race between two of the most nuanced people of the country, that understand their defence operations.