War films have long been one of Bollywood’s most emotionally charged genres ,tapping into patriotism, sacrifice, heroism, and our collective imagination about national identity. But if you look closer, only a few titles truly connected with audiences at the box office, while many others either underperformed in theatres or found life on OTT platforms. Haqeeqat, Border and Sam Bahadur stand out as notable successes ,each resonating with audiences for different reasons while LOC: Kargil, 120 Bahadur and the OTT-first films like Bhuj and Gunjan Saxena struggled to make commercial impact. Shershaah, despite bypassing theatres entirely, emerged as a breakout OTT phenomenon. Now, with Border 2 on the horizon, expectations are high and the lessons of the past are more relevant than ever.Haqeeqat (1964) The Pioneer Directed by Chetan Anand and starring Balraj Sahni, Dharmendra and Priya Rajvansh, Haqeeqat was released in 1964 and dramatizes India’s tragic 1962 war against China .The film struck a chord with audiences and became a hit at the box office, reportedly earning around Rs 1 crore in its day, an enormous sum in the 1960s.The film had an emotional immediacy of immediacy of loss and sacrifice. It established the kind of narrative template that Bollywood would return to for decades: a group of ordinary soldiers caught in extraordinary circumstances, their courage and brotherhood a metaphor for national resolve.
Border (1997) : A Crowd-PullerFew war films in Hindi cinema are as revered as Border. Directed by J.P. Dutta and featuring a star-studded cast (Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Jackie Shroff, Tabu, and Kulbhushan Kharbanda), this film dramatizes the 1971 Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pak war.Border wasn’t just a film , it was a cultural moment. With powerful performances, memorable music and deeply emotive scenes of camaraderie and sacrifice, it became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 1997 (around Rs 40 crore at the box office) and remains a touchstone of patriotic cinema today.It’s not just nostalgia that keeps Border alive; it’s a collective emotional memory. The movie struck a balance between spectacle, character drama and patriotic fervor that brought audiences into theatres in numbers that few war films have managed since.That impact has spurred a sequel , Border 2, directed by Anurag Singh and starring Sunny Deol again set to release around Republic Day 2026. Expectations are huge, but Bollywood will be watching closely to see if this legacy can translate into contemporary box-office success.Sam Bahadur (2023) – Biographical Success Directed by Meghna Gulzar and headlined by Vicky Kaushal (with Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra), Sam Bahadur recounts the life of India’s first Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw and how instrumental he was in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.Unlike large-scale battlefield spectacles, this film is a character-driven biographical drama. It uses real emotions and personal stakes to anchor its story, and that’s what helped it work at the box office, with collections of around Rs 93.95 crore domestically a strong showing for a war biopic and that despite clashing with Ranbir Kapoor’s box office juggernaut Animal.Shershaah (2021) – OTT Triumph Directed by Vishnuvardhan and starring Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, Shershaah dramatizes the story of Captain Vikram Batra, a Kargil War hero whose war call “Yeh dil maange more” became an enduring patriotic slogan.Rather than a theatrical run, Shershaah premiered exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, where it became one of the most-watched Indian films on that platform. It earned critical acclaim and several awards, proving that digital viewership and cultural impact can rival traditional box office success.LOC: Kargil (2003) – A Lavish Production That FalteredJ.P. Dutta’s ambitious LOC: Kargil, featuring a huge ensemble including Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Sunil Shetty and Abhishek Bachchan, was intended to be the epic follow-up to Border , it chronicled the 1999 Kargil War .Despite its scale and star power, LOC: Kargil struggled at the box office, collecting under just around Rs 20 crore in Indian and failed to resonate with mass audiences.120 Bahadur (2025) – Commercial UnderperformanceDirected by Razneesh “Razy” Ghai and featuring Farhan Akhtar and Raashii Khanna, 120 Bahadur dramatizes the brave stand of Indian soldiers at Rezang La in 1962.Despite strong critical reception for its visuals and emotion, 120 Bahadur didn’t translate into box office success, grossing only around Rs 18 crore in India well below expectations for a patriotic war drama.The film’s struggle reflects the changing dynamics of theatrical audiences today: patriotism alone no longer guarantees box office returns without a compelling narrative hook or mass appeal elements.OTT Releases That Missed Theatrical ImpactSome war films in recent years bypassed theatres altogether, going straight to streaming during the Covid period:Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (directed by Sharan Sharma, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Pankaj Tripathi) focused on India’s first female IAF pilot but released directly on Netflix, garnering attention but not box office revenue.Bhuj: The Pride of India (directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya, starring Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Sonakshi Sinha) released on Disney+ Hotstar and received mixed reviews, failing to break through as a theatrical-style hit.Over decades, war films in Bollywood have evolved from grand patriotic spectacles (Haqeeqat, Border) to character-driven biopics (Sam Bahadur, Shershaah), with mixed theatrical returns along the way (LOC: Kargil, 120 Bahadur) .As Bollywood prepares for Border 2, the industry will be watching whether a nostalgic sequel can connect with both contemporary audiences and those who grew up revering the original – a reminder that war films succeed when they balance spectacle with heart.
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