The final days of British rule in India ended with short-lived happiness for many. The infamous and historical border was born, dividing India and a new nation, Pakistan. On August 14, which is also recognised as the Partition Horror Remembrance Day in India, we revisit some recent and old films that have managed to depict the pain and horror of the division of two lands.
Pinjar (2003):
Set during the partition, this Chandra Prakash Dwivedi-directed film is based on Amrita Pritam’s famous 1950 Punjabi novel with the same title. Starring Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpayee, the film revolves around Puro (Matondkar), a Hindu woman who is abducted by a Muslim man, Rashid (Bajpayee), in revenge for an old family feud. Forced to adopt a new identity, she navigates displacement, loyalty, and loss, ultimately choosing compassion over hatred as violence engulfs both communities around her.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Garm Hava (1974):
Directed by MS Sathyu, the film is written by legendary writers Kaifi Azmi, Shama Zaidi and Ismat Chughtai. Balraj Sahni plays the lead as Salim Mirza, a Muslim businessman in Agra, who struggles to hold his family and shop together after the partition, as his relatives migrate to Pakistan. Facing prejudice, economic ruin, and personal tragedy, he embodies the quiet anguish of Indian Muslims torn between homeland loyalty and communal suspicion.
Where to watch: YouTube
Train to Pakistan (1998):
Pamela Rooks’ second directorial effort, the film is based on Kushwant Singh’s 1956 novel with the same title. The film navigates through the fictional village of Mano Majra, where Sikhs and Muslims live peacefully until the partition’s violence arrives via a train of corpses. Starring Nirmal Pandey, Mohan Agashe and Rajit Kapoor, the film also showcases how a local gangster’s love for a Muslim girl becomes entangled with communal hatred, culminating in a devastating moral choice amid mass migration.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013):
Directed by Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra, this biopic traces legendary sprinter Milkha Singh’s journey from being a partition survivor who witnessed his family’s massacre during the 1947 divide to becoming The Flying Sikh. Starring Farhan Akhtar, the movie shows how Singh, haunted by trauma, channels grief into athletic glory. The movie shows how he eventually confronts his painful past by racing again on Pakistani soil and overcoming his trauma.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001):
Directed by Anil Sharma, the story follows Tara Singh (Sunny Deol), a Sikh truck driver, who saves and marries Sakina (Ameesha Patel), a Muslim woman separated from her migrating family during the partition riots. Years later, when Sakina visits her father in Pakistan, he traps her and Singh is met with hostile mobs and has to confront nationalism and religious division to fight for his love.
Where to watch: Prime Video / Zee5
Main Vaapas Aaunga:
An Imtiaz Ali directorial, the film is based on 95-year-old Keenu’s (Naseeruddin Shah) promise he made to his first love, Jiya (Sharvari Wagh), during the partition period in 1947. Forced to leave his love and land behind, he promises to come back after the tensions settle. Starring Vedang Raina as the young lead, the film shows how two young lovers are forced to part ways because of the partition. After 78 years, Keenu’s grandson Nirvair (Diljit Dosanjh) makes his journey back to Pakistan to fulfil his dying grandfather’s last wish.
Where to watch: Netflix
Batwara 1947:
An adaptation of Asghar Wajahat’s play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai, this Rajkumar Santoshi directorial is set during the partition in 1947, when a family decides to move from Lucknow to Lahore. Starring Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta and Shabana Azmi in lead roles, the movie showcases how human empathy supersedes religious and communal violence that was tearing apart two nations.
Where to watch: In theatres
