Top Historical Battles That Truly Deserve A Film

Year: 305-303 BC
Battlegrounds: Northwestern India; mainly the Indus River Valley

Our history books have taught us how the Nanda dynasty was overthrown by the Mauryan dynasty, led by Chandragupta Maurya.
After the death of Alexander the Great, his military commanders (known as "the Diadochi") broke apart his vast empire.
One such commander, Seleucus I Nicator, became the King of Persia, Syria and Bactria and proclaimed himself as the founder of the Seleucid Dynasty.
By that time, Chandragupta Maurya had already overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and with the help of his mentor Chanakya, he became the first ruler of the Mauryan Dynasty.

Seleucus, of course, was looking forward to increase his empire and decided to acquire Northern India. On the other hand, Chandragupta had been smitten by Seleucus' daughter Helen. The only way he could marry her was by defeating Seleucus in a battle.Hence a war ensued.

The Mauryans won and Helen eventually married Chandragupta to form an alliance between their two empires.
Many Greek scholars, historians were invited to the Mauryan court. One special mention was the historian Megasthenes, who wrote a famous book entitled Indica, giving a detailed account of his stay at the Mauryan court and of Chandragupta Maurya.

With all its drama, historic moments and underlying story of love and lust, this sounds like a larger than life movie that should be directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.
He can take his time cooking up the political drama in his own style like he did in Jodhaa Akbar, and he can definitely promise an engaging war sequence. His elegant shots and a rich, thick plot like this one is sure to make an amazing film.
Add in a Gowariker favourite Hrithik Roshan (as Chandragupta Maurya) and Piyush Mishra (as Chanakya), and Aditi Rao Hydari; and we NEED this to be a movie!

Year: June 1757
Battlegrounds: North of the village of Plassey on the bank of the Bhagirathi river

One of the pivotal battles that helped the British East India Company to settle down in India for the next 200 years was the infamous Battle of Plassey. The battle was preceded by the attack on British-controlled Calcutta by Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah and the Black Hole massacre.

Colonel Robert Clive of the East India Company decided that the best way to secure the Company’s interests in Bengal was to replace Siraj-ud-daulah with a new and more pliant nawab. He found a candidate in a discontented elderly general named Mir Jafar.

The confrontation came on the cloudy morning of 23rd June 1757. By this time, Mir Jafar had already placed his loyalty in Clive. He was to be the new Nawab of Bengal after the death of Siraj. The young Nawab, of course, had his suspicions but lets Mir Jafar, a terrific commander, take charge of one of his army divisions.
Heavy rain and a few unfortunate miscalculations later, Siraj is seen fleeing the battle field. The East India Company become victorious and this battle becomes the last nail in the coffin for an independent India.

The family history of Siraj-ud-daulah and his controversial reign is perfect for a Vishal Bhardwaj movie.
The darkness and horror of those times can be crafted beautifully by Bhardwaj on a big screen. His soulful music and remarkable treatment of the doom of Bengal can bring about a poignant yet important retelling of our history and historical mistakes.

As a fan of Bhardwaj-Irrfan Khan duo, it would be an icing on the top if he'll play the controversial role of Mir Jafar. Siral-ud-daulah should be played by an young actor (like Sushant Singh Rajput). For female characters like Siraj's aunt, Tabu, another Bhardwaj collaborator, should join the cast.
If this film really ever gets made, it'll definitely break a few records.

Year: 1191 & 1192.
Battlegrounds: Near Thanesar

We have all heard about the glorious hero Prithviraj Chauhan. According to most historical documents, he was a true warrior and a devoted ruler. He was crowned at a very young age and during his formative years, his mother helped him with the administrations.

The medieval biographies of Prithviraj suggest that he was educated well. The Prithviraja Vijaya states that he mastered 6 languages; the Prithviraj Raso claims that he became well-versed in a number of subjects, including history, mathematics, medicine, military, painting, philosophy, and theology. Both the texts state that he was particularly proficient in archery.

To extend the boundaries of his empire Muhammad Shahabuddin Ghori entered into India in 1175 CE. In 1191, Muhammad Ghori attacked Sirhind or Bathinda on northwestern frontier of Chauhan kingdom. Prithviraj's along with his army, led by vassal Govinda-Raj, rushed to the defense of the frontier, and the two armies fought a battle at Tarain. This is how the First war of Tairan began.
Two wings of Turkic army was defeated and fled away while Muhammad Ghori could not recover from the blow and fainted from the shock. The army surrendered and Muhammad was made prisoner. Muhammad of Ghor begged for mercy and Prithviraj pardoned him.

In 1192, Ghori after returning to his capital Ghazni challenged Prithviraj at the Second Battle of Tarain.
Muhammad Ghori decieved Prithviraj with a letter of acceptance of the treaty. The Rajput army was in a relaxed mood. Suddenly Ghori`s army attacked Prithviraj`s army in the wee hours. At the end of the day Muhammad Ghori was victorious.
The second battle of Tarain opened the way for conquerors of India. Muhammad and his successors established an Islamic Empire in India as the Sultanate of Delhi.

A story like this deserves Sanjay Leela Bhansali at its helm. Bansali has proved to the audience again and again (Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani) that when it comes to historical dramas and battle scenes, he is one of the finest directors in this country.
We have watched an array of actors portray Chauhan on out television screens but for multiplexes we need someone like Dulquer Salmaan. Deepika Padukone will look elegant in the role of one of Chauhan's wives Samyukta.

After all the back lashing Padmaavat received, making this movie does sound more like a dream than a reality. But if they do make it, it'll absolutely be a creative masterpiece. Even a major box office success!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the website. Deblina is a self-proclaimed cine buff with a decent taste in music. She is also an engineering student with a passion for story-telling.