From Lagaan to Gadar: Watch these 11 films that clock 20 years in 2021

In 2001, Indian cinema bombarded movie lovers with some of the greatest films of all time. The movies including the Aamir Khan starrer Lagaan, Sunny Deol’s Gadar: Ek Prem Katha recently completed 20 years since their theatrical release. Fans were seen reliving some of their favourite moments from these films on social media. But apart from Lagaan and Gadar, there are other films too that will clock two decades in 2021.

These films include the Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Jaya Bachchan and Kajol starrer Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham; Anil Kapoor starrer Nayak, Karisma Kapoor’s Zubeidaa and many more.

Today, we’ve curated a list of 11 must-watch films on OTT platforms that will complete 20 years of their release in 2021. Take your pick:

Lagaan (Netflix)

“Teen guna lagaan dena padega!” The famous line from the epic musical sports film has a special account in the meme banks. Lagaan stars Aamir Khan and debutant Gracy Singh in pivotal roles with the British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne as supporting characters.

Lagan talks about the time of the British Raaj in India when a few villagers took a bet of a cricket match with a British officer in order to get their lagaan (tax) revoked for 3 consecutive years.

Lagaan went on to win the National Film Award for Best Popular Film among other categories. The film also received numerous accolades internationally, while it was also India’s official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Dil Chahta Hai (Netflix)

Dil Chahta Hai is a coming-of-age romance film that tells the story of three friends. Akash, Sameer and Siddharth (played by Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna respectively) go on a trip to Goa to celebrate their college graduation. Later the trio drifts apart as they start to live their own life that deals with career, love and family issues. Directed by Farhaan Akhtar the film also features Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia in significant roles.

Nayak (Disney+ Hotstar)

Anil Kapoor starrer film- Nayak has been a household name ever since its release and it’s still one of the favourites of the Indian audience.

The political action film talks about an inspiring story of a journalist who is committed to bringing out the truth before the masses. However, he happens to become the CM of Maharashtra for a day and due to his good deeds and success, ends up forcefully joining politics.

Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (Disney+ Hotstar)

Chori Chori Chupke Chupke revolves around Raj and Priya (Salman Khan and Rani Mukerji), who are married and are unable to conceive a child. So, they hire a surrogate Madhu (Preity Zinta) to bear their child. However, the relationship between the three gets complicated when Madhu falls in love with Raj.

Chandni Bar (Amazon Prime Video)

Chandni Bar is the story of a naive young girl Mumtaz (Tabu), who unwillingly chooses to become a bar dancer after moving to Mumbai after her family died in a communal riot. Later, she married a gangster called Pottya Sawant (Atul Kulkarni) to secure herself and her future in the world of criminals.

Aśoka (Netflix)

Aśoka is a period drama film starring Shah Rukh Khan in the titular role with Kareena Kapoor, Hrishita Bhatt, Danny Denzongpa and Tamil star Ajith Kumar in his debut Hindi film. The story is based on the early life of emperor Asoka, who was the ruler of the Indian subcontinent during the Maurya dynasty.

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (Zee5)

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha is the love story of Tara Singh and Sakina, who belong to different religions. The duo met during the India-Pakistan partition, fell in love and got married. However, Sakina’s father tries to break the ties between his daughter and her newfound family. The blockbuster film is loosely based on the life of Boota Singh and stars Sunny Deol and Amisha Patel in lead roles with Amrish Puri as the antagonist.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Netflix)

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor Khan.

The film is written and directed by Karan Johar and tells the story of a family that adopted a son and raised him with their ideologies, who later gets banished as he marries against the wish of his father. However, after growing up, the younger son of the family takes the matter into his hands to reunite the family again.

Lajja (SonyLIV)

Lajja is a crime drama film that talks about women empowerment, equal rights among other social issues. The story revolves around five courageous women who fight to save themselves and each other against male chauvinism. The film’s cast includes a huge line-up including Madhuri Dixit, Mahima Chaudhry, Rekha, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn among others

Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (Disney+ Hotstar)

Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein was loved by movie fans across the country. The romantic comedy-drama film narrates the story of a Brahmin boy, Madhav, who falls in love with Reena (Dia Mirza), who is about to get married to an NRI (Saif Ali Khan). Little did he know the US returnee is his long-time rival from college. In order to win Reena’s heart, Madhav aka Maddy goes on to do some unexpected things in the film.

The movie received moderate success at the time of release but has gained popularity over the years. The fans are even demanding a sequel.

Zubeidaa (YouTube)

Zubeidaa is a Shyam Benegal directorial film that revolves around an actress who marries a prince and becomes his second wife. However, her life takes a turn when she decides to part ways with him.

Zubeidaa won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. It stars Karisma Kapoor, Rekha and Manoj Bajpayee in pivotal roles.