Ten unconventional Bollywood takes on India-Pakistan relations

New Delhi: Romantic comedy Happy Bhag Jayegi, which opened to ₹ 2.32 crore last Friday, is the latest addition to the now lengthening list of Hindi films that focus on India-Pakistan relations in unconventional, non-military ways. Over the years, Bollywood has had several takes on the turbulent history and conflict between the two countries but more light-hearted and human tales have been rare. Here are 10 films that managed to portray India-Pakistan ties in relatively unusual ways.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015): Salman Khan’s blockbuster drama is the ultimate ode to India-Pakistan harmonic relations. Khan plays a golden-hearted Hanuman devotee who takes a mute Pakistani child lost in India back home in the Kabir Khan-directed film that netted ₹ 320 crore at the box office.

Bangistan (2015): The comedy starring Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat was a satirical take on how vested interests often motivate religious conflicts between the two countries. The film directed by Karan Anshuman managed ₹ 5 crore at the box office.

Filmistaan (2014): Director Nitin Kakkar’s comedy revolved around a Bollywood fanatic played by Sharib Hashmi who, after being kidnapped by a terrorist group and housed in Pakistan, realises how cinema can help forge human and cultural bonds between the two countries. The film that won the National Award for the best feature film in Hindi made ₹ 6 crore in box office collections.

Kya Dilli Kya Lahore (2014): Actor Vijay Raaz’s directorial debut was the tale of an Indian and Pakistani soldier who develop an unforeseeable bond on an isolated stretch of the border after being stuck in a crossfire. The film opened to extremely positive reviews but managed only about ₹ 69 lakh at the box office.

PK (2014): Rajkumar Hirani’s satirical comedy may revolve around an alien (Aamir Khan) who questions religious practices and dogmas, but at its heart, it was also a story of enduring love of an Indian girl and a Pakistani boy. The blockbuster made ₹ 340 crore in box office collections.

War Chhod Na Yaar (2013): The war comedy directed by Faraz Haider tells the story of two battalion captains on the border who develop an unusual friendship off the battlefield. The film starring Sharman Joshi, Soha Ali Khan and Javed Jaffery only made ₹ 6 crore at the box office.

Veer-Zaara (2004): Yash Chopra’s romantic drama told the story of two star-crossed lovers but with a relatively benign view on Pakistan and its people, with particular emphasis on how similar relationships and emotions exist in both countries. The film starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji won the most popular film award at the National Awards that year and made more than ₹ 19 crore in box office collections.

Main Hoon Na (2004): The Farah Khan-directed film stars Shah Rukh Khan as an upright military officer trying to ensure the smooth execution of a peace project to release civilian captives on either side of the border. Remade into Tamil as Aegan, the action drama made ₹ 13 crore in box office collections.

Pinjar (2003): Filmmaker Chandra Prakash Dwivedi’s period drama set during Partition, based on Amrita Pritam’s Punjabi novel of the same name, is the story of a young Hindu woman kidnapped by a Muslim man whom she eventually accepts. The film won the National Award for best feature film on national integration and made ₹ 4 crore at the box office.

Henna (1991): The Randhir Kapoor-directed movie was an India-Pakistan love story starring Pakistani actor Zeba Bakhtiyar along with Rishi Kapoor in the lead. Shot in Kashmir, the critical and commercial success made ₹ 4 crore in box office collections.

All figures have been sourced from movie websites Bollywood Hungama and IBOS Network.