Best movies & TV Shows like The Discovery of India

José Ferrer and Horst Buchholz star in this fictionalised account of events leading up to the assassination of Indian spiritual leader and independence campaigner Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1947, Lord Mountbatten assumes the post of last Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people, living upstairs at the house which was the home of British rulers, whilst 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants lived downstairs.

The film is based on the life of Razia Sultan (1205–1240), the only female Sultan of Delhi (1236–1240) and her speculated love affair with the Abyssinian slave, Jamal-ud-Din Yakut. Razia Sultan is 1983 Urdu film, written and directed by Kamal Amrohi, and starring Hema Malini, Parveen Babi and Dharmendra in lead roles. The film's music was provided by Khayyam, with lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar and two songs by Nida Fazli who walked into the project when Akhtar died. Some songs were sung by Lata Mangeshkar, including classics like, "Aye Dil-e Nadaan".

A period drama set in the year 1877 that narrates the love story of a revolutionary courtesan.

Set during the 1857 War of Independence, an obsessed Indian Nawab desires to wed a young Anglo-Indian woman, but the girl's obstinate mother stands between them.

In 1897, an army of 21 Sikhs battles 10,000 Afghans to prevent the Saragarhi Fort from being taken down.

An adaptation of the Mahabharata is mainly told through the eyes of the Kaurava prince Duryodhana & gives insights on how Duryodhana, who could have been one of the greatest warriors and rulers, ends up being manipulated, and eventually meets an untimely end.

A young Prince Asoka works to perfect his skills in battle and also deals with family conflict. During a struggle with one of his step-brothers, his mother urges Asoka to escape to stay alive. While away, Asoka meets Kaurwaki and falls in love, but must use his skills as a warrior to protect her. A dangerous and heartbreaking web of conspiracy follows, which leads Asoka to embrace a Buddhist path.

Indian documentary about Indian film history and P. K. Nair, the founder of the National Film Archive of India and guardian of Indian cinema. He built the archive can by can in a country where the archiving of cinema was considered unimportant.

Set during the period of growing influence of the Indian independence movement in the British Raj, the story begins with the arrival in India of a British woman, Miss Adela Quested, who is joining her fiancé, a city magistrate named Ronny Heaslop. She and Ronny's mother, Mrs. Moore, befriend an Indian doctor, Aziz H. Ahmed.

The denizens of a brothel deal with internal drama, as well as pressure from greedy land developers and an anti-sex work politician to leave town.

The Chola kingdom is under threat from forces both internal and external, and with crown prince Aaditha Karikalan, his younger brother Arunmozhi Varman and the emperor, Sundara Cholar separated by situations, it is up to a messenger to ensure the safety of the kingdom. Can he succeed in his mission, especially with Karikalan's former girlfriend, Nandhini, plotting to bring down the entire Chola empire?

India’s first underwater war film tries to decode the mystery behind the sinking of Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi during the Indo-Pak war of 1971.

It's 1947 and the borderlines between India and Pakistan are being drawn. A young girl bears witnesses to tragedy as her ayah is caught between the love of two men and the rising tide of political and religious violence.

With Gandhi My Father, producer Anil Kapoor and director Feroz Abbas Khan have shed light onto Gandhi the person, rather than Gandhi the icon. Using Gandhi’s political career as a canvas, the film paints a picture of his intricate, complex, and strained relationship with his son Harilal Gandhi.

The film begins in 1857, when India was ruled by the British East India Company. Mangal Pandey is a sepoy, a soldier of Indian origin, in the army of the East India Company. Pandey is fighting in the Anglo-Afghan Wars and saves the life of his British commanding officer, William Gordon. Gordon is indebted to Pandey and a strong friendship develops between them, transcending both rank and race.

Three Senior police officers in different parts of India, who, well aware of the intelligence that Gandhi’s life in under threat, must take key decisions that would eventually either save the Mahatma, or the country.

In 1890s India, an arrogant British commander challenges the harshly taxed residents of Champaner to a high-stakes cricket match.

In post-Partition India, a Muslim businessman and his family struggle for their rights in a country which was once their own.

A freedom fighter faces opposition from both his father and an ambitious police officer.

Born in British India, Bhagat Singh witnesses numerous atrocities during his childhood and grows up to become one of the most fearless freedom fighters in the country.

The historical rearguard last stand that took place on 13 July 1660 at a mountain pass in the vicinity of fort Vishalgad, near the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India between the Maratha Warrior Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Siddi Masud of Adilshah Sultanate, known as Battle of Pavan Khind.

Biopic on the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The film will showcase his growing up as a child to his standing up against all injustice in his youth to fighting for the independence of his country. How he led a country to it's independence with his inspirational presence and fight for the justice.

Sardar is a 1993 Indian biopic on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of India's greatest freedom fighters, directed by Ketan Mehta and written by noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar.

The inspirational biography of one of India's greatest patriots Sardar Bhagat Singh.

The struggles of Mohandas Gandhi in South Africa.

This documentary is a three-part tribute to director Guru Dutt, who died in 1964 at the age of 39. The work traces Guru Dutt's personal story through many interviews with his family members and colleagues and observes his work through the use of extensive film excerpts. The documentary was produced by the British television network Channel 4 producer Nasreen Munni Kabir.

Bharat is a patriotic Indian who's father was an Independence fighter. He goes to London and is disappointed to see that the NRI's staying there criticized everything Indian and were wasting their life away. Prithi (Siara Banu) is one such NRI who falls in love with Bharat but refuses to go back to India with him.

Amu is the story of Kaju, a twenty-one-year-old Indian American woman who returns to India to visit her family and discover the place where she was born. The film takes a dark turn as Kaju stumbles against secrets and lies from her past. A horrifying genocide that took place twenty years ago turns out to hold the key to her mysterious origins.

The film is derived from a classic folk tale, originally narrated by Vijaydan Detha, and interpreted as folk play by Habib Tanvir. The film charts the tumultuous life of a petty thief, Charandas (Lalu Ram). Curiously he is a man of principles – an honest thief with a strong sense of integrity and professional efficiency. He makes four vows to his Guru, that he would never eat in a gold plate, never lead a procession that is in his honour, never become a king and never marry a princess, thinking all of them are far out possibilities for him. Later, his guru adds a fifth one - never to tell a lie and sets him of on his life's journey which leads him to a kingdom..

Set in 1961 Goa, this is a story of a rich and influential Goan family and what happens to them over a period of time. The movie is narrated in past-tense by one of the friends of the family.

A patriotic doctor lends moral backbone to the broken society of Bengal.

Sardari Begum is a 1996 Hindi movie directed by Shyam Benegal. The film stars Kiron Kher, Amrish Puri, Rajit Kapur and Rajeshwari Sachdev. The film's lead actress Kiron Kher won the 1997 National Film Award - Special Jury Award. Rajeshwari Sachdev won the 1997 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. The music by Vanraj Bhatia also received wide acclaim. Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar, the play back singer of the film also received accolades in the category of 'Best Playback Singer'. This film focuses on the complex portrait of family relationships, generational and sexual politics as well as social mores in India.

The Principal of New Era High School in Panchgani finds an orphan, Raju, who had lost his parents to plague, brings him home, and enrolls him in the school. Raju notices that while every student has parents and visitors, he has no one to call his own. He gets distraught and is assured by the Principal that he does have a relative in Chacha Nehru (Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister). Raju believes him, and when he finds out through his teacher, Uma, that Nehru will be delivering a speech in Chowpatty, Bombay, he sneaks off in the trunk of a car. Upon arrival he faces harsh realities, his money is almost stolen, and he is befriended by a cynical deranged male, who tells him that Nehru is now a speech-prone politician and is unable to hear what the common citizen has to say...

The film encompasses some of a lifetime span of the legend - "Father of Indian Unrest"

Documentary about the effects of Britain's withdrawal from India in 1947 which triggered one of the biggest migrations in history. 15 million were displaced and more than a million lost their lives. The story is told through the testimony of people who lived together for centuries, but were forced out of their homes as one of the largest and most ethnically diverse nations in the world was divided. Dramatised reconstructions evoke some of the mistrust, violence and upheaval that ensued

Historical fiction drama set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the First war of Independence.

Flop Show is an Indian television sitcom that first aired on Doordarshan in 1989. The show was written and directed by satirical humourist Jaspal Bhatti, who also played himself as the main character. His wife Savita Bhatti produced the show and also acted in all the episodes as his wife. The sitcom was a satire on the socio-cultural problems faced by the common man in India at the time. Although only 10 episodes of the show were ever produced, the show has had a long and powerful legacy.

Ek Veer Stree Ki Kahaani... Jhansi Ki Rani is an Indian historical drama based on the life of Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi, one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The series was directed by Jitendra Srivastava and written by Rajesh Saksham, Ila Dutta Bedi, Malavika Asthana and Mairaj Zaidi. It premiered on 18 August 2009 on Zee TV with Ulka Gupta playing Queen Lakshmi Bai. On 8 June 2010 the story moved on several years and Kratika Sengar portrayed the Queen from there on. The show's last episode went to air on 19 June 2011.

Epic drama set in the summer of 1932 where India dreams of independence, but the British are clinging to power. Set against the sweeping grandeur of the Himalayas and tea plantations of Northern India, the drama tells the rich and explosive story of the decline of the British Empire and the birth of modern India, from both sides of the experience. At the heart of the story lie the implications and ramifications of the tangled web of passions, rivalries and clashes that define the lives of those brought together in this summer which will change everything.

India is known for its remarkable architecture and serene landscapes. Its rich history is steeped in mystery; its vastness - lends itself to several stories and urban legends. Ekaant takes you through the abandoned roads and alleys of some of India’s historic locations. Travelling through the spread out palaces and deserted forts, the show documents and investigates the eerie processes of abandonment of each site. How flourishing towns and cities came to be in ruins, is the question each episode seeks to answer. Ekaant explores the ceasing of life and the triumph of nature even in the most populated of places and takes you on the road no longer travelled.

The history and significance of cuisine created in the royal kitchens of India.

Here comes yet another tale of an undefeated warrior Peshwa Bajirao. Peshwa Bajirao is the story of a warrior who fought and loved with equal passion, one, who stood up for what he believed in, and achieved in one lifetime more than most men cant even think of. This show showcases the untold story of the legendary warrior's upbringing - his journey from being an ordinary child to an extraordinary leader and the role that his parents, Balaji Vishwanath and Radhabai played in creating the hero that we know him as.

On its 70th anniversary, Anita Rani explores the human impact of the 1947 Partition of India through the dramatic stories of three British families - one Muslim, one Hindu, and one British Colonial. Anita and her mother Lucky also explore their own Partition story, as they become the first members of her Sikh family to return to their ancestral home in what is now Pakistan.

The story of Indian warrior Porus and his life especially the Battle of the Hydaspes with the Great Alexander.

The story of how Indian Emperor Chandragupta Maurya and his teacher Chanakya work together to unify India and Defend from foreign invaders.

Set during the 1950s, the six-part series tells the story of a young woman’s search for love and identity in a newly independent, post-Partition India defining its own future.

In the Sino-Indian War, 126 Indians defended a strategic pass against 3,000 enemy soldiers. This was a battle of dauntless courage, fought to the last bullet.

Spanning three crucial decades (1940-60s) in the history of India, the story chronicles the life of three great men responsible for launching India's space and nuclear programs respectively: Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, the architect of India's Nuclear Programme, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, universally acknowledged as the Father of the Indian Space Programme and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the pioneer of modern Indian aerospace and nuclear technology. The season traces the journey of Bhabha and Sarabhai coming to terms with the challenges facing a young, independent nation and their friendship, sacrifice and determination.

To understand today's West Bengal and its crises and challenges, one needs to know the nitty-gritty of West Bengal's fascinating political history. This docu-series attempts to provide a primer of that history through the reigns of eight Chief Ministers who have ruled the state.