1. ANIRUDDHA ROY CHOWDHURY, film-maker

Independence means freedom. It is freedom of speech, freedom of not only a country but a race. Last year, I saw the film called Sergio on Netflix, which tells the story of a failed UN diplomat. There was a dialogue in the film by an old lady who couldn’t go back to her homeland and was telling the UN official that she wished to become the clouds, go to her country and fall on her country’s land as raindrops. That is such a beautiful expression. It touched me very much. Independence means freedom of mankind, freedom of our thoughts. There is another film, The Whistleblower, where a trafficked woman gets rescued by a woman cop. We should remember what is freedom and we must watch films that make us realise what it feels to be free. We take everything for granted but freedom has an outcome. We need to realise the gravity of freedom. Also, my film Buno Haansh. I am attached to that film. How the man while trying to experience freedom through comforts of life for his family and himself fell into a trap. But could he find freedom? We must watch films that will inspire us to become a better human being. Chernobyl is another one. We should not abuse nature, that is also about freedom.

2. SABYASACHI CHAKRABARTY, actor

There are quite a few films that make a great watch based on the theme of independence, like in the Bengali language Hemen Gupta’s political film ’42 (Biyallish), and Piyush Bose’s patriotic drama Sabyasachi. In recent times, Arun Roy’s sports film based on a historical incident, Egaro, Srijit Mukherji’s Rajkahini. English language films like Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero are excellent as well. All these are good films. It is difficult to choose one based on this theme.

3. CHURNI GANGULY, actor

When I was young, I watched Gandhi and that created a lot of impact. The scale of production and despite not being familiar with the Indian culture the manner in which they portrayed it were beautiful. It was an epical journey almost and it was an experience to watch it. We got to know so much and it made us feel so proud as youngsters. That impact has stayed on.

4. KAUSHIK GANGULY, actor and film-maker

These memories are a little blurry for me. As a kid, I watched Upkar that really moved me and the movie ’42 (Biyallish), where people used to throw shoes aiming the screen in the hall. I watched these at a young age, but as a child we don’t really develop the patriotic feeling. However, I used to feel a sense of anger for the colonisers after watching that film. For many years after that, I used to not like Bikash Roy. We used to go for our Madhyamik exam from Ramkrishna Mission to St. Lawrence taking a bus that passed by Jodhpur Park, and we used to see him sitting in the balcony of his house. And whenever we had an exam, I used to meet the ‘villain’ of Biyallish as he used to sit in that balcony. We used to wave at him and he used to wave back. After seeing him like that in his old age, my fear subsided a little. But that film created my fear for Bikash Roy and my first patriotic feeling, too. Because it was a feeling that developed at a very young age, it had no other purpose. I just understood that I love my country and that film created that feeling for me. I understood that they are bad people. And for so many years, since childhood, I used to feel angry at the actor Bikash Roy.

5. GARGEE ROYCHOWDHURY, actor

When I used to do theatre, I watched Utpal Dutt’s Nilkantha on stage. Then on television, I watched Uttam Kumar’s Sabyasachi in Doordarshan and that blew me away. And many years after that, I loved Uri: The Surgical Strike and even Raazi. I am a great fan of Meghna Gulzar. Of course, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal were fantastic performers. But leaving aside everything, I still sing Ae mere wattan ke logo whenever I feel a little down. When we stand together at the theatres and sing our national anthem that gives me goosebumps. I am a bit patriotic and I like listening to these songs. These songs alone help us to picturise an entire film in our mind — the incidents of those days. So it is very difficult to name one single film, song or theatre about independence. Freedom is so very special to us. We won’t understand this but those who did... Chitthi aayee hai, Ekbar biday de ma ghure aasi... all these evoke patriotic feelings and we can never forget these.

6. ARINDAM SIL, film-maker

For me, it is Rang De Basanti. There is an element of contemporisation in the film, where one can relate to the essence of patriotism. It is not pointing out in our face but the way the film was presented was excellent, and it was something new in Indian cinema also. Everyone was so natural in their performances. It is an extremely believable and real film, and it also sublimely talks about patriotism that makes it very interesting for me.

7. MODHURA PALIT, cinematographer

I think if there are some films that spoke to me about the idea of independence, the love for my country, how we can think about our country and contribute in a way and the realities of it, they are Swades and Rang De Basanti. In both the films, they talk about the country and its people and the problems that comes with it. Also, we as individuals and Indians can contribute and help out. It really captures the essence and epitome of what independence means for me and look at our country with all its flaws but understand its beauty, understand where we are going wrong and what can we do to make things better.

8. SHAHEB BHATTACHERJEE, actor

Considering the history of India, two of my all-time favourites would be Lagaan and Border. The songs and the picturisation of Lagaan are etched in my memory. Also, the emotion that was carried through the film. One dialogue in the English film Independence Day runs a chill down my spine even today. The way it says, ‘Today we are celebrating Independence Day’ — this dialogue always gives me goosebumps.

9. RIDDHI SEN, actor

I have watched a film recently that is not really an Independence Day film, but if we interpret the meaning of independence differently it fits in. Independence is not a particular day, it is a process where so many incidents are interrelated and it can be interpreted as personal independence, too. I loved Sardar Udham. It is a brilliant patriotic film. It neither dwells its way into hyper-patriotism nor hyper-nationalism, but is so rooted to the contribution of Udham Singh and so many people at that point in time. It really showed the idea of true liberation, what Udham Singh did and the time post-Jallianwala Bagh massacre. So many people tried to save people caught in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. I think it is a film that talked about a country’s independence and personal independence, too — getting independence from one’s personal vices and biases in a way. I think it is brilliantly made.

10. TUHINA DAS, actor

Independence Day was always special for me right from my childhood. And watching a movie was a part of the celebration. Over the years, though Gandhi was a moving portrait of the Father of the Nation, influencing the mind, after growing up Lakshya and Rang De Basanti made a lasting impression given how they brought in the youth in the narrative.

11. PAVEL, film-maker

Independence Day is not just about a day but the spirit of nationalism. For me, there are two films that I can remember. First one is Rang De Basanti and it just changed my life. Whatever I am today is because of that film. After watching that film, I realised how a film has the power to change people’s life. It opened the Jessica Lal murder case and created havoc. And secondly, Dil Se.., for being the first film addressing North-East problems, for the songs by A.R. Rahman and Gulzar, for Manisha Koirala, for Mani Ratnam’s masterclass and the cinematography. We have a Bengali connect in the film, too, with Sabyasachi Chakrabarty playing a negative role.

12. GAURAV CHAKRABARTY, actor

I can think of two films that I have watched over the years when it comes to Independence Day. First is Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. My father introduced me to this film and I think it is synonymous with Independence Day and is truly a cinematic achievement with Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. It sort of kindles a nationalistic fervour inside us and as a student of cinema, I would say these are the two best-made films on this subject. Another film is Border by J.P. Dutta but that’s sort of a hyper-nationalistic film. But Independence Day ignites that thing in you, where you want to watch films like Border and Gandhi.

13. RWITOBROTO MUKHERJEE, actor

I have two and each of those talks about different aspects of independence. One is Bedabrata Pain’s Chittagong. I watched it at a very young age and the making of that film is very different. The rooted aspect that should stay in a film that talks about our independence is there. It talks about our freedom fighters in a much more realistic sense and emphasises on how they were just normal people. They were farmers, weavers, labourers — normal people had become freedom fighters. And secondly, Lagaan. It is one of my best-watched sports film. We don’t see this kind of a sports film being made usually. It is more of a childhood favourite.