What are you watching with your kids this Indian Independence Day?
I started putting together a list of movies about India’s freedom struggle, but then realized I wanted this list to be about something bigger.
Because India’s story didn’t end on August 15, 1947.
There are stories about the people who fought for our freedom. But there are also stories about the people who built what came next — scientists, athletes, soldiers, ordinary citizens, and people who left India and found their way back to it.
So here are 10 movies and series to watch with your kids this August 15, depending on their age and what your family is comfortable watching. Some will teach them a little history. Some will make them ask questions. Some may just give them goosebumps when they see the Indian flag. And perhaps that’s the best place to start.
A quick note before the list: streaming availability shifts around often, so it’s worth a quick check before movie night. Here’s where each title lives as of this writing.
1. Bharat Hain Hum
Great for younger kids · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Animated stories that introduce children to heroes of India’s freedom struggle, in a format that’s much easier for younger kids to connect with.
This is the one that actually serves families with 4–8-year-olds. I’d put it first.
2. Gold
Older kids + · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
What does it mean to finally play for your own flag? 🇮🇳 A sports story built around India’s pursuit of Olympic hockey gold as an independent nation — history, hockey, and a huge moment of national pride.
This may be my favorite August 15–specific recommendation.
3. Lagaan
Older kids + · Streaming on Netflix
Colonial India. An impossible challenge. And… cricket. A really entertaining entry point into conversations about British rule, unfair power, and resistance — with a cricket match at the center of it all.
⚠️ It’s long. Make it a family movie night.
4. Chak De! India
Older kids + · Streaming on Netflix
Because representing India can mean many things. A story about teamwork, women in sport, regional differences, and what happens when a group of individuals learns to play as one team: India.
This one gives the list some breathing room from Independence/war/history — a good change of pace.
5. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl
Tweens + · Streaming on Netflix
A girl who wanted to fly. ✈️ A story about ambition, gender barriers, family support, and serving your country, set against the backdrop of the Kargil conflict.
I’d absolutely keep this one — you need women’s stories represented on this list.
6. Mission Mangal
Older kids + · Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar (in the US, currently available to rent on Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play)
From independence… to Mars. 🚀 A great pick for science-loving kids, and a reminder that India’s story isn’t only about winning freedom — it’s also about what was built afterward.
That last idea is really the whole point of this list.
7. Swades
Older kids / tweens + · Streaming on Netflix
Maybe loving your country also means showing up for it. A beautiful story about home, belonging, responsibility, and the complicated relationship many Indians abroad have with the country they came from.
For families in the diaspora, I think this one will hit particularly well.
8. ’83
Tweens + · Streaming on Netflix
The day a team made a country believe. 🏏 India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup story is pure underdog energy — another way to talk to kids about pride, possibility, and representing your country.
9. Airlift
Tweens/teens + · Streaming availability varies by region (currently limited on major US subscription platforms — check Apple TV, YouTube, or Google Play to rent)
What do we owe one another when things go wrong? Set during the evacuation of Indians from Kuwait during the Gulf crisis, this is a heavier watch, but a powerful story about community, responsibility, and identity.
10. Ae Watan Mere Watan
Tweens/teens + · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Sometimes resistance begins with a voice. 🎙️ Set during the freedom movement, this one centers on a young woman using underground radio to spread the message of resistance.
What’s one Indian movie you watched growing up that you can’t wait to show your kids?
Save this list for your August 15 family movie night, and send it to another parent looking for something to watch.
