When Bollywood Brought Dussehra To Life: The Beautiful Portrayal Of The Festival On Screen

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Dussehra also known as 'Vijayadashami' is a time when families gather, children gaze in awe, and communities unite in the warmth of celebration. This Hindu festival that celebrates victory of good over evil commemorates Lord Rama's triumph over the demon King Ravana, symbolizing the victory of righteousness.

The festival, which is the grand finale of Navratri, comes alive with vibrant processions, Ram Leela performances, and the fiery end of Raavan effigies. But beyond the spectacle, it's a call to conquer our inner demons, embrace virtues like kindness and truth, and welcome a fresh start filled with unity, hope, and renewal.

In Bollywood, there are several movies that have talked about the victory of good over evil through their stories where the hero always defeats the villain in the end, that leads to a happy ending. Watching these movies brings a smile to our faces no doubt, but there are many movies that have actually portrayed or symbolised the festival of Dussehra in their movies.

Here's a sneak peek at some of them, just in case you are looking to watch something with your family and friends this Dussehra -

Prem Granth, 1996 - This hard-hitting movie talks abouts the survival story of Kajri (Madhuri Dixit) who is a rape victim. She avenges her rape by burning her rapist along with the effigy of Raavan on the day of Dussehra at the end of the movie.

Swades, 2004 - This was perhaps one of the most underappreciated and underrated movies of Bollywood, and one of the noteworthy performances of Shahrukh Khan that he has to his credit. This movie talks about an NRI's homecoming and maintaining the traditional roots of India. It had a Dussehra scene where people are seen rejoicing on burning the effigy of Raavan during the celebrations.

There is a particular song in the movie which is picturised on the female lead who is acting out a scene from Ashok Vatika dressed as Sita along with Raavan. Here the male lead, Shahrukh Khan explains through this song how a person can awaken the Lord Ram within themselves by warding off their evil side.

Delhi 6, 2009 - The perfect portrayal of Dussehra can be seen in this movie because the themes in these movie itself were of Dussehra and Ram Leela. Most of the scenes revolved around people watching the stage renditions of Ramayana.

The movie depicted how good and evil was subjective and different in everyone's perspective. There is also a prominent scene that symbolises Kaala Bandar, to explain how good wins over evil throughout the ten days of Ram Leela.

Ra. One, 2011 - This movie was a sci-fi retelling of the Ramayan where the story is centred around a video game in which the villain of the game enters real life and creates havoc in the life of the game developer. Here there is a scene where the villain, Ra. One is seen walking away from the burning effigy of the idol Raavan in the backdrop, showcasing his strength in real life.

Rowdy Rathore, 2012 - This movie revolves around a badass cop in which there is a scene at the backdrop of a Dussehra rally where he is chasing goons who are hiding behind effigies of Raavan amidst the crowd. Eventually he gets stabbed by them but this is a crucial scene in the movie in which he goes through a vital character development and gains perspective on how to tackle down his enemies and gain victory over evil.

Ram Leela, 2013 - Another apt movie to add to your Dussehra playlist is the Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone starrer Ram Leela. This movie is set around the days of Navratri. Amidst celebrations of Garba, Holi and other Navratri celebrations the film ends tragically with the leads shooting each other and sacrificing their lives to end the war between their communities, highlighting victory of love over enmity.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan, 2015 - This beautiful movie talks about communal harmony where an Indian man is on a journey to unite a little child to her home in Pakistan. There is a song in the movie that shows the male lead celebrating Dussehra with kids along with the female lead, particularly the ending shot where both of them encourage a small child to shoot arrows at Raavan and burn his effigy.

Kalank, 2019 - This Dharma productions movie can be mistaken for a Sanjay Leela Bhansali one for its grand visuals set in the pre-independence era. When the leads Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt first meet in the movie, the backdrop has a 10-headed Raavan burning as they set eyes and walk towards each other. It was a symbolic scene that helped in developing the plot further.

Mardaani, 2019 - The second installment of the Rani Mukerji starrer who plays a tough cop in the movie began with the festival of Dussehra and ended with the festival of Diwali. It was a clear depiction of good over evil just like in the story line.

Brahmastra, 2022 - Yet another movie that portrays the festival of Dussehra beautifully when the leads meet for the very first time in the story. This Ayan Mukherji directed movie had now real-life couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles. There is also a song where Ranbir burns the effigy of the Raavan at the end.

As Ravana burns, we're reminded of the power within us to conquer our inner demons, to let go of negativity, and to embrace new beginnings with hope. Dussehra isn't just about a victory from long ago-it's a call to rise, to renew, and to celebrate the strength that lies within each of us. Happy Dussehra Everyone!