Before The Waking of a Nation releases, watch these films and series that highlight India’s revolutionary history

Cinema has that ability to bring history come alive on screen with its undeniable power of storytelling. If you find yourself drawn to these cinematic journeys through time and is ready to explore your beloved nation’s historical facts, we have curated a list of films and series to watch on OTT at your home, while you wait for The Waking of a Nation. Starring Taaruk Raina in the lead, the Hindi historical web series is releasing on SonyLIV on March 7, 2025. OTTplay Premium subscribers will be able to watch the web series.

Historical films and series on OTTplay Premium:

Freedom at Midnight (SonyLIV)

Cast: Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra, Rajendra Chawla, Luke McGibney, Cordelia Bugeja, Malishka Mendonsa, Arif Zakaria, Ira Dubey

This historical web series is based on Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre's book, Freedom at Midnight, published in 1975. The series explores the final years of British rule in India, from Lord Mountbatten's arrival to Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, surrounding the independence movement and the nation’s partition into two halves – India and Pakistan.

The Legend of Bhagat Singh (Lionsgate Play)

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Sushant Singh, D. Santosh, Akhilendra Mishra, Amrita Rao, Raj Babbar, Farida Jalal

Rajkumar Santoshi’s biographical drama film explores the life of freedom fighter, Bhagat Singh. The film depicts his fight for India’s independence, following is journey as a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republic Association, his childhood trauma due to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and at last, his execution in 1931.

The Gandhi Murder (ZEE5)

Cast: Stephen Lang, Behzad Khan, Luke Pasqualino, Om Puri, Vinnie Jones, Jesus Sans

This English drama film delves into the tense and complex period of India that preceded the tragic assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Rather than just depicting the assassination, the film explores the political and social forces that created the environment in which such an act of violence became possible. The film gives viewers a look at the events, the conspiracies, and more.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (ZEE5)

Cast: Abhishek Bose, Sriparna Roy, Dhrubajyoti Sarkar, Kaushik Chakraborty

This Bengali television series explores the journey of Subhash Chandra Bose, from a young patriot to a revered national hero, which is defined by his decisive action in forming the Azad Hindi Fauj to liberate India. Released in 2021, the biographical series comprises ninety-four episodes, each with almost 40 minutes of duration.

Ek Mahanayak: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (ZEE5)

Cast: Atharva Karve, Narayani Mahesh Varne, Jagannath Nivangune, Sneha Salvi Mehta, Falguni Dave, Shruti Bhist, Asif Syed, Vikram Dwivedi

This show explores the powerful story of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, who, despite enduring the cruelty of the caste system, rose to become a champion of social justice through the transformative power of education. This biographical television series was released in 2019, and it comprises 1135 episodes, each with 20-30 minutes of duration.