Besides being a historical film, Raja Harishchandra created history by being the first feature film made on Indian soil albeit silent. Adapted from the Indian saga the Mahabharata, the film concerns the virtuous King Harishchandra who almost sacrificed his kingdom for his sense of duty and for his love of truth. Produced and directed by the father of Indian cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke or fondly known as Dadasahab Phalke, Raja Harishchandra became a huge hit, as the audiences had never seen anything of such proportions ever.

Sohrab Modi’s timeless classic was about the legendary battle between Alexander and the Indian king-Porus. Although Sohrab Modi had earlier made Pukar-1939, which was based on the regime of emperor Jehangir and was a huge hit, it was Sikandar which made Modi immortal as a film-maker. The grand-scale of the movie, the awesome battle scenes and star-cast made Sikandar a cult movie. Prithviraj Kapoor as the dashing Alexander looked like greek-god. Sohrab Modi himself played Porus and his loud thundering voice became his trademark till the end of his career.

Story of a singer who threatened to dethrone Tansen from his coveted chair at the Akbar’s court, Baiju Bawra found many takers. It also gave Bollywood its first historical hero Bharat Bhushan. Historical because of the fact that he became a star playing historical characters in movies like Sangeet Samrat Tansen, Mirza Ghalib, Basant Bahar, Rani Roopmati and many others. However, Baiju Bawra reigns supreme in all the above due to the film’s uniqueness. It was the first musical to hit the screens inundated with some of the best raga-based songs ever heard. Baiju Bawra went on to become a huge commercial as well as critical success.

Salim-Anarkali’s love saga was unreal but a director brought alive and made it as real as the illusory tale, K.Asif. The grandeur of Akbar’s palace, beautiful and majestic Madhubala as Anarkali and Dilip Kumar as Salim, the dominating Akbar played by Prithviraj Kapoor and a timid mother torn between son and husband Jodha played by Durga Khote – all became synonymous to this epic drama. Notwithstanding the fact that India was not technically sound then, K Asif left no stone unturned to make it a mammoth film. Consequently, he took 12 years to finish the film but it managed to rake in big moolah.

Manoj Kumar never imagined that he would be bestowed with the eternal plaudit of Bharat Kumar. It all began with Shaheed, the third film to be made on the life and heroics of Bhagat Singh then. It was Manoj Kumar’s first film as a writer too, in association with Kewal Kashyap. Based on the greatest warrior of Indian freedom struggle, Manoj Kumar ingeminated Bhagat Singh in his mannerisms and style. The film was immensely liked by people and still has the potential to run chill down everyone’s spine with its vivid portrayals.

Gadar-Ek Prem Katha, as it suggests, is a love story with the backdrop of partition and its consequences. The film starred an unlikely pair of robust Sunny Deol as Tara and timid Ameehsa Patel as Sakina. Sakina falls in love with Dara and they get married. Few days later, Sakina realizes that her parents are alive and are in Pakistan. She goes to visit them and gets trapped. How the valiant Tara frees his wife is all that Gadar entails. The film was the year’s biggest money-spinner.

Another narration of the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh was seen in 2002 with intense Ajay Devgn as gallant Singh. Being a superb actor, Ajay managed to bring alive the determination and burning desire of a free nation in Bhagat Singh across the silver screens. Directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi, the film wasn’t a great success but it did fetch crowds to some extent. The film won a lot of trophies across all award ceremonies including a National Award for Ajay Devgn.

Apart from Mughal-e-Azam, historic romance took a leap of nearly two decades to alight the screens in the form of Jodhaa Akbar. A subtle and moving love story of the emperor of Hindustan Jallaluddin Mohammad Akbar and his Hindu Rajput wife Jodhaa, Jodhaa Akbar touched the chords of everyone in love. Hrithik Roshan as Akbar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Jodhaa were just perfect for the roles as they instantaneously brought about the apprehensions, conditions and an eventual acceptance to a marriage as part of deal struck by two warring states. Ashutosh Gowarikar truly reinstated that if told properly, an age-old love saga can also be poignant without the necessity of being quintessential intimacy these days.