‘Rang De Basanti’ to ‘Fighter’: Movies released on the 26 January window that evoked patriotic emotions over the years

Cinema has always succeeded in evoking patriotic feelings among the audience, and Indian filmmakers seem well aware of that. Bollywood has delivered many such classics that time and time again stir our souls with a feeling of pride and patriotism towards our India. On the occasion of Republic Day, here we have curated a list of movies released on the 26 January window that evoked patriotic emotions over the years.

This landmark Bollywood film starring Aamir Khan is a classic example. It was released exactly two decades ago on 26, January 2006. ‘Rang De Basanti’ redefined revolution for the new generation and is quite revolutionary. The film follows a young group of friends played by Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, Sharman Joshi, and Kunal Kapoor, who are initially indifferent to national issues and politics. However, their routine takes a turn when a British documentary filmmaker approaches them to act in her film based on the lives of Indian freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and their contemporaries.

‘Airlift’ is another high-impact patriotic film released in the Republic Day window. The Akshay Kumar starrer film was released on January 22, 2016, and is based on real events.


‘Airlift’ is set during the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, where thousands of Indians were left stranded in the war zone. The film centers on the Indian government’s coordinated evacuation effort and the logistics of the largest civilian air evacuations in history.


Streaming available on Prime Video.

One of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters in recent years, ‘Pathan’ marks a major Republic Day window release. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, the action thriller film follows Pathan, who is a former RAW agent, who is called back into service to stop a national security threat. Pathaan teams up with Rubina Mohsin, played by Deepika Padukone, to counter a powerful antagonist.


Pathaan presents a stylized portrayal of modern intelligence operations set against a global backdrop.


‘Pathaan’ is available to stream on Prime Video.

The aerial action drama ‘Fighter’ entered cinemas on January 25, 2026. The film stars Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, and focuses on the Indian Air Force and action sequences.


‘Fighter’ follows elite fighter pilots from the Indian Air Force who battle against terrorist threats to India. The plot follows Hrithik’s character as Shamsher Pathania and his team, who are brought together by Group Captain Rakesh Jai Singh, played by Anil Kapoor.