Raees to Kai Po Che: Films with flavour of kite-flying festival

NEW DELHI: Makar Sankranti, the first festival of the year which is also called the festival of kites, and is known by several names like Sankranti, and Pongal across India, It is an occasion that is celebrated with much pomp and zeal across the nation. Further, no festival is complete in India without the flavour of Bollywood. So here are a few films that celebrate the undeniable joy of flying kites, eating sweets, and ringing in the new year with a positive attitude!

'Kai Po Che'

Poster of 'Kai Po Che'

‘Manjha’ from this film become one of Bollywood's most popular kite-flying songs. 'Kai Po Che' is a Gujarati phrase that means 'victory' during a kite-flying session. The film Kai Po Che is based on Chetan Bhagat's novel The Three Mistakes of My Life. Manjha tells the touching story of three friends, played by Amit Sadh, Sushant Singh Rajput, and Rajkummar Rao.

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

Still from 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'

The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, revolves around a Gujarati family, and the song 'Dheel De' focuses on the preparations for a kite-flying competition. The entire song, which stars Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, focuses on how kite-flying is an essential part of Makar Sankranti.

Raees

Still from 'Raees'

Released in 2017, 'Raees' portrayed Shah Rukh Khan as a ruthless and daredevil gangster. The film is loosely based on the life of a bootlegger in Gujarat. In this film, SRK and Mahira Khan celebrate Uttaran by joyfully singing to ‘Udi Udi Jaye’. Revolving around their characters' love, this song, set against the backdrop of the festival, serves as an effective medium for portraying their love story.

Earth

Still from 'Earth'

Partition was the backdrop for Deepa Mehta's ‘Earth’ which was released in 1947. During the song Ruth Aagayi Re, the filmmaker showed how Indians come together during a festival (Makar Sankranti) regardless of religion. In this son, Aamir Khan teaches Nandita Das how to fly the kite.

Rashmi Rocket

Poster of 'Rashmi Rocket'

Rashmi Rocket's ability to run like a rocket is revealed for the first time during the Makar Sankranti festival. Rashmi, the young girl, runs extremely fast and catches a kite. At the backdrop, the ‘Rann Ma Kutchh’ is played in reference to the festival. The film stars Taapsee Pannu in the lead.