A Biopic: More Appealing than Fiction

By Tanaya Mehta

Have you ever watched a movie based on a true event and been so fascinated by the stories of heroes and individuals who put their lives at stake for their country? Well, I have. Ever since Bollywood started releasing movies based on true stories, they have become one of my favourite types of movies to watch. What compels me towards them is how well they express the emotion and thoughts of these individuals. Many Bollywood movies are often extremely dramatic with their over-the-top emotions and dance sequences; although these are things that define Bollywood, movies based on true stories are made with more attention to detail.

Before I go into more detail, I wanted to mention that the words “movies based on a true story” is very generic. There are so many types of movies on real events that have different impacts on people. Some examples are movies that surround war and justice, sports, political movements, feminism, geniuses, historical events and more. This list will continue to grow as more movies are created based on real experiences.

I enjoy movies that encompass all these topics, but the ones I am most moved by are those that surround war and justice. Two such movies, one released in 2019 “URI: The Surgical Strike” and one released in 2021 “Shershaah”, are both well-created. They superbly brought out the lives of the individuals. They showcased the past of each individual that led them to the event they are now known for.

Something that I have noticed quite often with these types of movies is that several these individuals are not as well known in today’s world. For example, everyone knows about the Kargil War but not a lot of people know of Captain Vikram Batra who played an exceptional role in Indian history.

While watching the movie “Shershaah”, I had a lot of interesting thoughts and questions running through my mind. I wondered how an individual with no relations to the army becomes an army officer, and that too a leader of a squad. How does that individual forget about all his personal worries and place his focus on dodging bullets and saving a country? How does he take on a role of leadership and become a person who supports his team? The story is created in a way that makes you curious about his life and motivation to become a captain in the Indian army.

There was a sense of dignity and responsibility for one's country that was showcased by the movie characters; for the audiences, they created a sense of pride and highlighted the appreciation for Indian soldiers who fought for their country. This courage has boosted my motivation to continue life with a positive attitude. It was a no-brainer for me to develop a positive mentality about life and my future if these individuals were determined even when the worst occurred.

Every movie has its appeal whether or not it involves reality or fiction. To me, a movie that connects to real-life instances lingers like the aroma of a candle, while fictional movies aren't stories that often stick with you for a while. True stories offer greater reality-based inspiration, and the film industry has always relied on them to keep audiences engaged. Films nowadays are more likely to appeal to audiences if there was an added element of reality, something that they could relate to or take inspiration from. Today's movies don't necessarily have characters that are perfectly relatable or accurate. Instead, they are using the essence of reality and actual historical events to make compelling stories. We see an illusion, but what we don't see is reality. Like Albert Einstein once said, "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”