When we talk about India’s struggle for freedom, one of the first names that come to our minds is of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. A 23-year-old charismatic Indian socialist revolutionary who decided to step up and fight against the Britishers before being executed on 23rd March 1931 along with his friends Sukhdev and Rajguru. Today is the 86th anniversary of their martyrdom that gave purpose to thousands of Indian youngsters. From shooting British police officer John Saunders in Lahore to exploding two bombs in Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi, Bhagat Singh made his voice heard for all the right reasons. In fact, the BSF is planning to put on display the pistol used by the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh to kill British officer John Saunders in 1928, at its new arms museum here.

Over the years many films have been made to remember his contribution. Let’s pay a tribute to India’s real hero by listening to some songs from those movies:

1. Mera Rang de Basanti Chola – Shaheed (1965)

This was the slogan used by Bhagat Singh and his friends while they were in the jail. It means “O Mother! Dye my robe the colour of spring” and was brought to life on screen through majestic voices of great Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh, Mahendra Kapoor, Rajendra Mehta in 1965 film Shaheed in which Manoj Kumar played the character of Bhagat Singh.

2. Sarfaroshi ki Tammana – Rang De Basanti (2006)

A poem created by another revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, which means “The desire to sacrifice” has been used in many Bollywood films but the best impact was created in Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra’s ‘Rang De Basanti’ that drew a parallel between revolutionaries of Bhagat Singh’s era and modern Indian youth.

3. Ae Vatan Ae Vatan Humko Teri Kasam – Shaheed (1965)

Even though the first two films made on his life were Shaheed-e-Azad Bhagat Singh (1954) and Shaheed Bhagat Singh (1963), starring Shammi Kapoor, the real success was achieved Manoj Kumar’s Shaheed in 1965. This song was given voice by Mohammad Rafi and will take you in a different world altogether.

4. Aye Bhagat Singh tu zinda hai – Sheetal Sathe

Apart from Bollywood movies, a song written, composed and performed by Sheetal Sathe who is associated with the cultural organisation ‘Kabir Kala Manch’, a troupe of Dalit protest singers and poets from Pune also created some magic. The song establishes the fact that Bhagat Singh is still alive.

5. Pagdi Sambhaal Jatta – The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)

The Legend of Bhagat Singh directed by Rajkumar Santoshi starring Ajay Devgn in the title role turned out to be a box-office disaster. However, it emerged as a cult classic in the coming years and AR Rahman got critical acclamation for his music as well.

“The pistol used by Bhagat Singh to kill the British police officer John Saunders is currently on display at CSWT’s old museum. We are planning to display this pistol with special importance at new arms museum, construction of which would be completed within a couple of months,” the Border Security Force Inspector General, Pankaj Goomar told PTI. He said that besides the firearm, the life saga of the “Shaheed-e-Azam” would also be on the display.