Varun Dhawan as Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiya in 'Border 2', Agastya Nanda as Arun Khetarpal in 'Ikkis': Actors who played real-life heroes on the big screen

Bollywood has a long history of celebrating patriotism in ways that stay with the audience long after the credits roll. And it need not be a patriotic war drama necessarily! Over the years, Bollywood has served us patriotism of different flavours, with actors bringing real-life heroes to the big screens. Take a look:

Agastya Nanda- Ikkis

Arun Khetarpal was a ‘jolly good fellow,’ and Agastya Nanda did full justice to his role. Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis shows how a youngster needs to just have fire in his belly to change the course of history. The film is honest, courageous, and most importantly, non-jingoistic. It is a human-centric war-drama that doesn’t make too much noise, and it doesn’t show random bloodshed.

Vicky Kaushal - Sam Bahadur

In Meghna Gulzar’s Sam Bahadur, Vicky Kaushal played the legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw with authority and charisma so striking that he blurred the lines between the reel and real! From the uniform, steel eyes to the intensity in his body language, Vicky not only portrayed the character, he committed.

More from Entertainment

Karan Johar says Sriram Raghavan's 'Ikkis' is a love letter to peace: 'Agastya Nanda is OUTSTANDING as the 21 year old Arun Khetarpal and...' Ranveer Singh's 'Dhurandhar' co-star says the actor deserved more recognition for his performance: 'Akshaye Khanna has created an iconic character but...'

Varun Dhawan - Border 2

Varun Dhawan is all set to capture the passion and resolve of Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiya PVC, and his intense looks in the poster, teaser and the recently released song prove that the actor is going all guns blazing. Varun pays tribute to the bravery of Col. Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, who led his troops with unflinching courage during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his heroism, India’s highest military honour.

John Abraham - The Diplomat

John Abraham’s character in The Diplomat is based on Indian Foreign Service (IFS) diplomat Jitender Pal Singh, who helped Uzma Ahmed return from Pakistan. Known for inclining towards patriotic spectacles in recent years, John added another substantial title to his body of work.

Alia Bhatt - Raazi

Alia Bhatt’s character in Raazi is based on the real-life story of the female Indian spy named Sehmat (in Raazi) who was married to a Pakistani officer to draw information about the rival countries’ war strategy. She delivered classified information to India during the Indo-Pakistan war. Alia, celebrated for her range and versatility, served one of her best performances and even made a strong addition to her body of work.