In the spirit of Republic Day 2025, the entertainment industry’s biggest lyricists, singers, actors and filmmakers share their favourite patriotic songs and films with ETimes.
Hariharan – ‘Vande Mataram’
Sharing about this favourite patriotic song, legendary musical artist Hariharan said, “It’s Vande Mataram sung by Lata Mangeshkar ji. It has got a period feel, it was recorded then, and when I hear the song I feel I was there that time though I was not born, so that is a beautiful feeling and you can relive that time capsule when you hear this song. There are a lot of other songs but this comes to my mind, her pristine voice and the whole orchestration and the way it gives me goosebumps”
Manoj Muntashir – ‘Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon’
“There is a galaxy of patriotic songs that we have in this country, thankfully.But if you ask for one, just one, I will pick ‘kar chale hum fida jaan-o-tan saathiyon ab tumhare hawale watan saathiyon’ .There are various aspects to its excellence, but as a primer, I choose it for the class of poetry by Kaifi Azmi Saab, the poetry is so rich, so rich that still I cannot get over it, so every time I play this song, I find a new angle to it, so the way patriotism and martyrdom has been romanticized, I don’t think anybody has romanticized it so much before that, okay, it is patriotism, it is about giving up one’s life, but imagine, there are many seasons to be alive, but the season to give up one’s life does not come every day, both beauty and love are discussed. I have never heard of such patriotic romanticizing of the youth. This song kept moving me so much that when the situation of ‘Teri Mitti’ came in front of me, I also said publicly that ‘Teri Mitti’ is completely based on this emotion. I wrote ‘kar chale hum fida’ in my own way and it became ‘Teri Mitti’”
Mayuresh Pai: ‘Jai Bharati Vande Bharati’
“I don’t know what to say about patriotic songs, because there is one such song and there are memories associated with it. I mean the first one that I immediately remember is Lata Didi, which was Didi’s favourite song, it is a favourite of the people of my country and the world, but Didi liked another song, that was ‘Jai Bharati Vande Bharati’, it is such a beautiful song and the way India is described in it, she liked it a lot, and it was her favourite song. Also Didi’s, ‘Vande Mataram’. That song is present in every Indian’s heart, Vande Mataram is there in our hearts and I like the song Jo Samar Mein Ho Gaye Amar composed by Jaidev and sung by Didi, it brings tears to our eyes.”
J.P Dutta: ‘Hum Laayen Hain Toofan Se’
“My favorite patriotic song is ‘Hum Laayen Hain Toofan Se Kashti Nikalke Iss Desh Ko Rakhna Mere Bachcho Sambhal Ke’ from the film ‘Jagriti.’ My favourite patriotic film will have to be my own ‘Border.’ And I would say the true national figure is the soldier of the armed forces. He represents the true spirit of India.”
Shabana Azmi and Manoj Bajpayee – ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’
“Favorite song has to be ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’ from ‘Haqeeqat’…Jiyo Kaifi Azmi. Jiyo Madan Mohan. Jiyo Mohd Rafi! Favorite national figure? Undoubtedly Mahatma Gandhi, though Nehruji was also a remarkable visionary,” said Shabana Azmi
“The song is ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida Jaan-O-Tan Saathiyon’ from ‘Haqeeqat’ and my favorite patriotic film is my own 1971 directed by ‘Amrit Sagar.’ National figure? Bhagat Singh,” shared Manoj Bajpayee
Hema Malini: ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’
“My favorite patriotic songs are the national anthem and Lataji’s ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’. And Bapuji is my favorite national figure.”
Rahul Khanna: Our national anthem
“I thought ‘Chak De’ India was incredibly patriotic. My favorite song is predictably our national anthem. It’s a truly beautiful piece of music and verse. My favorite national figure is the Indian soldier who toils selflessly at the border to protect our country.”
Bhavna Talwar: ‘Ae Mere Pyare Watan’
“My favorite song is ‘Ae Mere Pyare Watan’ from ‘Kabuliwala.’ Though many great patriotic films have been made, I would choose my own Dharm for its message of national integration at a time when rappers are singing about hatred. My favorite national figure is APJ Abdul Kalam.”
Dino Morea: “Favorite patriotic film and song are ‘Border’ and A R Rahman’s ‘Ma Tujhe Salaam’. Favorite national figure? Ummmm. Subhas Chandra Bose. Don’t ask me why.”
Malaika Arora: ” ‘Sare Jahan Se Achcha’….I don’t know what happens to me when I hear that song. It fills with pride for being Indian. My favorite national figure: all the freedom fighters who brought us where we are today. No doubt, they’re the true heroes.”
Ravi Kishan: “My favorite song is ‘Mera Rang De Basanti Chola’ from ‘Shaheed.’ And my favorite national personalities are Anna Hazare and Sunil Dutt.”
Suneel Darshan: “I’m a big Manoj Kumar fan and my favorite film is Upkar, favorite song is ‘Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet Sadaa Main Geet Wahan Ke Gata Hoon’ from ‘Purab Aur Paschim.’”
Mahesh Bhatt: “Favorite patriotic song would have to be ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’ by Kaifi Azmi. And favorite film is Chetan Anand’s ‘Haqeeqat.’ My favorite national figure? Rabindranath Tagore.”
Anant Mahadevan: “‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’ from the film ‘Haqeeqat’ which is also my favorite patriotic film on the Indo-China war. Very relevant to today’s politics. Will China pull the rug on us again? Favourite national figures are Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, our first president who was a true statesman and understood the spirit of India, And C V Raman whose Raman Effect was a path breaking find.”
Aftab Shivdasani: “My favorite patriotic song is ‘Ae Mere Pyare Watan’. Film is Chak De India. And Shah Rukh Khan is my choice for the national figure.”
Diya Mirza: “My favorite song is Hemant Kumar’s ‘Insaaf Ki Dagar Pe’ from ‘Ganga Jumna’ because it addresses itself to children and tells them their responsibility as Indian citizens. I also love ‘Vande Mataram.’ Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi is my favorite patriotic film. I watched it when I was very young. I realized for the first time what love for the country is. The national figure who evokes a deep sense of patriotism in me is Mahatma Gandhi.”
Apoorva Lakhia: “Favorite patriotic film is ‘Border’ and song ‘Mera Rang De Basanti Chola’. My favorite patriotic character is Ben Kingsley as Gandhi fighting against all odds and sacrificing himself for the greater cause that is the country.”
Raveena Tandon: “I love ‘Bharat’ (Manoj Kumar) in ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ and that song in the film ‘Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet’, especially the line ‘Jab Zero Diya Mere Bharat Ne’.
Divya Dutta: “Favorite song ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’. Favorite film is ‘Haqeeqat.’ My national hero would be Manoj Kumar for acting in and making films that represent the true spirit of India.
Alka Yagnik: Lataji’s ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’ is my all-time favorite song
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra: “My favourite patriotic song is ‘Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi’ from ‘Phir Subah Hogi.’ My favourite patriotic film is V Shantaram’s ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’.The film showed social change and that’s true patriotism for me.”
Jackie Shroff: “My favourite patriotic song is ‘Nanha munha rahi hoon desh ka sipahi hoon’ from the film ‘Son Of India.’ My favourite patriotic film is ‘Haqeeqat.’
Shankar Mahadevan: “The song ‘Ae Mere Pyare Watan’ by Manna Dey from the film ‘Kabuliawala’ never fails to move me.”
