Here are such amazing gems :

1. Schindler’s List

The Holocaust was one of the darkest periods in the history of mankind. Amidst the horrors of concentration camps and ghettos, lived a person like Oskar Schindler who saved several lives by employing them in his factories. The movie is his story.

2. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

The Olympian made Indians proud more than once. His exemplary performance as an athlete made him a household name. His life inspired Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra to make this equally exemplary movie.

3. Ek Doctor Ki Maut

Dr. Subhash Mukhopadhyay was a talented physicist who was a pioneer of the IVF treatment. HE was however a victim of politics and was driven to commit suicide. In the movie, Dr. Dipankar Roy, played by Pankaj Kapoor finds a vaccine for leprosy. All the other details are as close to reality as it gets.

4. A Beautiful Mind

The struggles of a man suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and his pioneering work in the field of Economics is the subject of this movie. Though not a literal representation, the film portrays the workings of John Nash’s beautiful mind beautifully.

5. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

Hachikō was a faithful dog who waited for his owner at the train station, to walk back home with him. He continued to do so even after his master’s death, everyday for nine years. He is the subject of this touching movie.

6. Paan Singh Tomar

He was a soldier of the Indian army who was also a famed athlete. His life took a turn when he resorted to banditry to avenge his mother’s death at the hands of the goon Bhanwar Singh. The story has been beautifully retold by Tigmanshu Dhulia and he made a wise choice by casting Irrfan Khan in the movie.

7. Into The Wild

Nothing makes me want to quit my job like watching this movie. And to think Christopher McCandless gave it all up, to travel to Alaska. Wow. The movie is a rendition of his life. Eddie Vedder’s voice warrants a mention here. ‘Guaranteed’ is guaranteed to win your heart!

8. Hotel Rwanda

The events which occurred in Rwanda in the year 1994, following the conflict between two warring tribes is the subject of this movie. Through the character of the hotel owner, Paul Rusensabagina who attempts to safeguard his family and other people, themes of corruption and violence are explored.

9. The Imitation Game

The man who was prosecuted for homosexuality by his country was the cryptanalyst who helped solve the Enigma code during the second World War. Benedict Cumberbatch has essayed the role with ease and grace.

10. The Aviator

A businessman, aviator and filmmaker, Hughes was a pioneer in his field. And who could understand his mind better than Scorsese, another pioneer filmmaker? He managed to elicit one of the best performances from DiCaprio for this movie.

11. 127 Hours

The engineer found himself in a tight-spot while canyoneering. In the movie, Danny Boyle captures his feelings of being trapped, desolation and his survival instincts. James Franco has essayed Aron Ralston’s role beautifully.

12. Bandit Queen

The life of Phoolan Devi, a victim of child marriage, sexual abuse, gang rapes, was a life of hardships. Dialogues of caste discrimination, gender and crime and punishment are beautifully woven into the movie by Shekhar Kapur.

13. 12 Years a Slave

Abducted on the pretext of a job and sold to a plantation owner, Solomon Northup lived the life of a slave for twelve years. His bitter fight against his sadist ‘owner’ and attempts to punish the culprits is the subject of the critically acclaimed movie.

14. The Motorcycle Diaries

The man the world knows as Che Guevera today, was just Ernesto before his journey through South America. The impoverished countryside gave rise to an epiphany. The rest is history. The movie portrays his journey and awakening.

15. Shahid

The lawyer and activist is famous for having fought for the people accused under POTA. He had suffered during the Bombay Riots and moved to PoK enrol in a militant camp. He returned however to become a lawyer and dedicated himself to helping people falsely implicated in cases like he had been. He had also fought against ‘Black Friday’ being banned. ‘Shahid’ is his story.

16. Raging Bull

Considered to be one of the best films of the 1980s, this Martin Scorsese film deals with the insecurities, the rage in the boxer’s life. The movie beautifully portrays the tension between the husband and wife. Robert De Niro packs a powerful punch as Jake LaMotta.

17. Gandhi

Documenting the life of one of the most influential leaders of the past century was no easy task. Yet this movie does a brilliant job of depicting Gandhi’s life. Ben Kingsley won an Academy Award for his brilliant portrayal of Gandhi in the movie.

18. Catch Me If You Can

An impersonator, a trickster, Frank Abagnale who performed cons worth millions of dollars. He was an expert in cheque frauds, forcing FBI to take his help to crack such cases later. Steven Spielberg and DiCaprio have done a fantastic job.

19. The Fighter

The lives of the two boxer brothers, their complicated yet loving natures is the subject of this movie. Their journey to self-actualisation is difficult, and they help each other to reach there, by falling apart and coming together again.

20. Ray

Ray Charles was a talented musician. He went blind at the age of seven but that did not stop him from following his dreams. His journey is the story of this acclaimed movie. Jamie Foxx’s role in the movie won him an Academy Award.

21. Sardar

Ketan Mehta’s movie traces the life and journey of India’s Iron Man – Sardar Patel. The movie beautifully sketches his relationship with Gandhi and Gandhian principles, and Nehru. Paresh Rawal has done a remarkable job in the movie.

22. Ali

The life of the boxer is the inspiration of this movie. His awakening to Islam, disillusionment with the Vietnamese War and American politics finds expression in the movie. Will Smith plays Muhammad Ali.

23. Zubeidaa

The search of a son for his mother who gave him up to build a new life for herself is the subject of this movie. The actress, Zubeida Begum married Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur and left her son Khalid Mohammed to build a new life in Jodhpur. The movie traces her journey and Khalid’s journey. AR Rehman’s music!

24. Firaaq – A Thousand True Stories

The Gujarat Riots in 2002 shook up all Indians. The carnage and misery which were the result of the communal tension is the subject of the movie. It is supposedly based on “a thousand true stories”. The likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Raghubir Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Shahana Goswami and the others, deliver a powerful performance. Nandita Das has done abrilliant job of knitting together their stories to deliver a powerful message.

25. Life Is Beautiful

The Italian actor and comedian Roberto Benigni’s father, Luigi Benigni was confined at the Bergsen-Belsen concentration camp. The horrors of the Holocaust is depicted through the blooming relationship between the father-son in the movie. Benigni won an Academy Award for his brilliant performance.

Art immortalizes their lives. Lives, to be remembered through great art.