From wartime epics to period romances, historicals invariably bring the passion of the past to the present. At the Indian box office, historicals nearly always strike bull’s eye, as they bring alive tales of guts and glory. Here’s what the upcoming months have in store…

Panipat - The Great Betrayal

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What makes it thrilling: Ashutosh Gowarikar, known for his period films including Jodhaa Akbar, brings together Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon for this historical period drama. The focus is the historic third battle of Panipat which took place on 14 January 1761 at Panipat, about 97 km north of Delhi. Militarily, the battle pitted the artillery and cavalry of the Marathas against the heavy cavalry and mounted artillery (zamburak and jezail) of the Afghans and Rohillas led by Abdali and Najib-ud-Daulah, both ethnic Afghans. One of the largest and most eventful battles fought in the 18th century, Panipat has perhaps the largest number of fatalities in a single day reported in a classic formation battle between two armies.

Kalank

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What makes it thrilling: An epic drama is set in the 1940s, the film has an ensemble cast comprising Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Dhawan and Aditya Roy Kapur. Producer Karan Johar has shared that he and his father Yash Johar had first thought about making the film 15 years ago. “Kalank has been an emotional journey for me! A germ of an idea that I had nearly 15 years ago... A film that was in a pre-production stage helmed by my father...” The film is touted to be a tale of two warring brothers against the backdrop of the Partition.

Shamshera

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What makes it thrilling: Ranbir Kapoor will play a highly ferocious and fearless outlaw in this upcoming action-adventure. Pitted against him will be an antagonist who will be even more fearsome – his nemesis, played by Sanjay Dutt. This Karan Malhotra action period drama promises to be a high-octane adventure set in the heartland of India. It will have jaw-dropping action sequences and a never seen before Ranbir Kapoor, who informs that Shamshera was exactly the film he was looking for. “While growing up watching Hindi commercial cinema, I had an image of what a film hero should be doing. Shamshera allows me to do everything that I had imagined and it’s a very exciting project for me,” he shared.

Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior

What makes it thrilling: The poster of Ajay Devgn captured in a dramatic moment has already sparked the imagination. A biopic of Tanaji Malusare, who served as one of Shivaji’s generals in the seventeenth century, is bound to whip up considerable interest. Tanaji was after all, the celebrated warrior who is said to have won the Battle of Sinhagad in 1670 by scaling an impregnable fort with the help of his pet monitor lizard. This tale of glory has been enshrined in Marathi povadas (ballads celebrating military exploits). The film will be directed by Om Raut, who directed the Marathi biopic on Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi

What makes it thrilling: An epic biographical film based on the life of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, it is a wonder that no one thought to bring this story to life on the Hindi film screen before. Directed by Krish, Kangana Ranaut plays the titular role of Rani Laxmibai. The film is based on the brave queen’s life and her war against the British East India Company, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Kangana, who is overjoyed to be essaying the regal warrior queen, maintains, “This movie is sure to instill a feeling of pride among the people.”