Bollywood Movies Based On India's Lockdown During Pandemic
Posted On: 08 Aug 2023 | Last Updated : 15 Mar 2024 | Views : 885
Bollywood is famous for making films out of real-life events that physically happened and became a hot topic trending on social media big time. One such subject was the dreaded pandemic that changed the mindset and lifestyles of many around the world in 2020. Covid - 19 was a pandemic that not only snatched away our beloved ones from us but also proved fatal making us realize how precious human lives are. Taking a clue from the pandemic many of our Bollywood filmmakers released their movies and web series on OTT platforms while some came up with movies based on lockdown. Though most of these Bollywood movies based on lockdown met with a lukewarm response but still managed to showcase what people went through and faced during those hard times. We look at some of the Bollywood movies based on the pandemic that gave us a glimpse of what hardships the common man had to go through:
1. India Lockdown (2022)
Director Madhur Bhandarkar’s India Lockdown: Resetting Lives was one of the first Bollywood movies based on lockdown to be released. The movie starring Prateik Babbar, Sai Tamhankar, Shweta Basu Prasad, Aahana Kumra, and Prakash Belawadi was based on the country-wide lockdown for 21 days due to the pandemic. The film showcased the lives of four out of the lakhs of individuals whose lives came to a standstill. The film reportedly was shot during the dreaded pandemic and got an OTT release.
2. Bal Naren (2022)
Another Hindi movie based on lockdown was the lesser-known social drama Bal Naren which was based on the inspiring story of a real-life hero named Naren who at the tender age of 14 aspired to become a sarpanch of his village and bring about a change among his people during the pandemic.
3. Zwigato (2023)
Kapil Sharma - Shahana Goswami starrer Zwigato also figures among some of the Bollywood movies based on the pandemic. The story of Zwigato was set during the Covid-19 wave where Manas (played by Kapil Sharma) loses his job as a floor manager and is forced to work as a food delivery rider. His struggle and survival during the dreaded pandemic and providing food for his wife, two children, and an ailing mother was heartwarming.
4. Bheed (2023)
Director Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed starring Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar is also a Hindi movie based on the pandemic which no one can forget. Shot in black and white, Bheed showcased the initial days when India underwent a total lockdown due to the breakout of the pandemic in 2020. The film showcased how millions of people struggled across the country and were denied entry at border towns without food and shelter.
5. Unlock Zindagi (2023)
Featuring among Bollywood lockdown movies is actor - director Rajesh Gupta’s Unlock Zindagi. Set during the pandemic and India’s lockdown period, the social drama revolved around a driver, a businessman, two helpless ladies, and a dead body who were caught amid the unexpected lockdown and whose lives turn upside down.
6. Minus 31: The Nagpur Files (2023)
Rucha Inamdar starrer Minus 31: The Nagpur Files also makes it to the list of Indian lockdown movies that hit the marquee. The movie is a crime thriller set during the pandemic in the city of Nagpur where a police officer is called to solve a murder case. The story revolves around a web of conspiracy, corruption, and suspense, exposing the hidden truths and machinations behind the scenes of governance.
7. Kusum Ka Biyaah (2023)
Kusum Ka Biyaah is a romantic drama and a Bollywood movie based on the Corona period. The story narrates a real-life incident set in Bihar and Jharkhand states where a newly married couple is stuck on the border of the two states along with their families due to the lockdown. What the couple and their families do thereafter makes for an interesting watch.
8. The Vaccine War (2023)
Vivek Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War was a true story that took place in the hard times of Covid-19 which narrated how our Indian scientists came up with a lifesaving vaccine during the deadly pandemic. The film showcased the untold relentless struggle and eventual success of our scientists who believed that India could have its own vaccine and not rely on foreign organizations. Simultaneously, it also showed how a section of the media misled people against India's manufacturing of a vaccine against the virus and finally, how our scientists make India ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) in the war against Covid-19.
9. Alpha Beta Gamma (2024)
Another flick set amid India’s lockdown period was director Shankar Srikumar's Alpha Beta Gamma which after receiving appreciation at film festivals finally got a theatrical release in India. This lesser-known movie starring Nishan Nanaiah, Reena Aggarwal and Amit Kumar Vashisth revolved around a husband and wife who meet after a long time to discuss their divorce. The wife has moved on since then and is dating a colleague who is also present. That’s when the lockdown is announced and all the three find themselves trapped in the apartment.
10. Lantrani (Sanitized Samachar) – 2024
Set amid India’s lockdown during the Covid pandemic was the anthology Lantrani’s second story titled Sanitized Samachar, which involves a TV news channel owner who along with his team is stuck in the studio when India’s lockdown is announced. To save his news channel, he has to produce a bulletin promoting a sponsor’s product. How his team manages the promotion forms the essence of the narrative.
