Prison-based movies have time and again captured the imagination of filmmakers globally. Some of the finest films in this category include ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, ‘Escape from Alcatraz’, and ‘The Great Escape’, to name a few.
The Indian film industry too had its share of films revolving around the theme of prison life or prison escape attempt, etc. We have shortlisted for our readers (in no particular order) some of the must-watch prison-based Indian movies that you can watch on Indian OTT platforms.
1. 3 Deewarein (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Written and directed by talented filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor, the film follows three prisoners on death row (Naseeruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff, and Nagesh Kukunoor) who are interviewed by a documentary filmmaker (Juhi Chawla), who is dealing with her own personal problems. The film was immensely praised for its realistic setting and writing. Its riveting climax is worthy of a round of applause.
2. Kalaapani (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar & Voot)
This hard-hitting film helmed by Priyadarshan was set in the pre-independence era. It revolves around the plight of Indian prisoners who were lodged in the infamous Cellular Prison called Kala Pani, located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The film featured some fine actors like Amrish Puri, Mohanlal, Prabhu Ganeshan, Tabu, and Annu Kapoor, amongst others.
3. 1971 (Streaming on YouTube)
This underrated gem is a period prison movie set in the 1970s. The story follows six brave prisoners of the Indo-Pak War of 1971 and their attempt to make a daredevil escape from a POW camp to reach the nearby Indian border. The film featured an ensemble cast including Manoj Bajpayee, Ravi Kishan, Deepak Dobriyal, and Manav Kaul.
4. Deewaar (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
This engaging prison escape drama revolves around a Prisoner Of War (Amitabh Bachchan) along with other Indian soldiers who were captured during the 1971 war. When he does not return many years after his capture, his son (Akshaye Khanna) undertakes a dangerous mission across the border to bring his father back. The film also starred Sanjay Dutt and Kay Kay Menon in important roles and was directed by Milan Luthria.
5. Sarbjit (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
The biographical drama was helmed by Omung Kumar and narrates the story of an Indian farmer (Randeep Hooda) who inadvertently crossed the border after getting drunk and got wrongfully accused of being an Indian spy. He was subsequently imprisoned despite being innocent. The film also featured Aishwarya Rai in a significant role besides Richa Chadha and Darshan Kumar in important roles.