The Best Biopics Bollywood Ever Made.

By Nayanika Dey | 691 | 11 Jan 2017

With Dangal making a huge splash at the box-office, Bollywood has proved once again that when it comes to biopics, nothing is a stronger force to be than them. Starting from Bandit Queen in 1994 to the recently conroversial Main Aur Charles, the inspirational M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story to the titillating The Dirty Picture , Bollywood has seen and done it all. Amidst claims of lawsuits and defamation, and stories of glory earned, let's take a look at some of the best biographical movies that helped shape our industry.

1) Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

A sports drama film directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, this one won Farhan Akhtar accolades for his portrayal of Milkha Singh or the 'Flying Sikh', one of India's foremost athletic icon and an Olympic medalist.

2) Mary Kom

A story of a girl following her passion about boxing despite disapproval from her family. A charming tale, filled with the ups and downs of Kom's journey brought to life on the big screen by Priyanka Chopra who claimed it was the most difficult role she had played till date.

3) Paan Singh Tomar

An athlete who won the Olympic gold, 7 times in a row. An athlete who is then forced into becoming a dacoit as the police let his mother's murder go un-investigated. This is the story of Paan Singh Tomar, a soldier in the Indian Army. The film was made with the modest budget of just $45 million!

4) Neerja

In 1986, an air hostess named Neerja Bhanot boarded the Pan Am flight 73 which would soon be hijacked by terrorists. Perhaps few would've known it then, but this regular hotness soon becomes the country's new icon as she gives up her life to save those on board.

5) The Dirty Picture

This movie not only made 'Silk' Smitha or Reshma famous but also launched Vidya Balan to mainstream fame and brought the curvy back in style. 'Silk' started her journey as an extra in movies but went on to act in several South-Indian movies while making infidelities a part of life. Spicy, scintillating, and inappropriate in the right doses, this one is sure to make you go ooh-la-la!

6) Gandhi, My Father

A biopic directed by Feroz Abbas Khan detailing the difficult relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal Gandhi who tries to keep up to his father's standards but grows disheveled as he fails to live up to the expectations imposed on him.

7) Bandit Queen

An autobiographical account of India's foremost Bandit Queen Phoolan Devi, who having come from a lower caste faced sexual abuse and discrimination as a child but by a fateful turn of events goes on to become the revered leader of a forest gang.

8) Main Aur Charles

An Indian police officer recounts the tale of his cat-and-mouse chase with India's foremost serial killer Charles Sobraj - a film that despite excellent critical acclaim opened to a mere 6 crore box-office collection. The film starred Randeep Hooda, Richa Chadda and Adil Hussain, Tisca Chopra, and Alexx O'Nell in lead roles and detailed the exploits of the famous 'Bikini Killer'.

9) Dangal

The most recent addition dealing with the lives of the two Phogat sisters and their rise to the top to become the first female wrestlers to win a Commonwealth medal. Dangal made a stunning splash in the box-office and achieved rave reviews from every tabloid.

And the list goes on:

Despite these few names, the industry has also produced movies like Rang Rasaiya, Sarabjit, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story and more. And with the success of Dangal, we can surely expect more in the future.