“Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy.”
– Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
When we’re stuck, uninspired, or overwhelmed by the daily grind, stories can help us see what’s possible again. And in our experience, few storytelling mediums capture the drama of leadership, transformation, and purpose quite like Bollywood. These films don’t just entertain; they offer powerful insights into the human experience — something every leader can learn from.
Whether you’re a first-time manager, an HR professional curating a film-based learning session, or someone building leadership capacity within your organization, here’s an updated list of 8 Bollywood films (with a few new picks) that still inspire and teach timeless leadership lessons.
Related Read: 4 Leadership Insights For A High Performance Team
1. 12th Fail (2023)
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Based on the real-life story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, this film follows a young man from a humble background who defies all odds — academic failures, poverty, and societal pressures— to become a civil servant.
Leadership Lesson:
12th Fail reminds us that failing at something doesn’t make you a failure. It emphasizes resilience and a growth mindset — essential leadership traits that we often explore in basic leadership training sessions.
Related Read: 4 Leadership Insights from the Deep Blue
2. Shershaah (2021)
Based on the life of Captain Vikram Batra, the film captures his courage and sacrifice during the Kargil War.
Leadership Lesson:
Bravery, accountability, and purpose-driven action stand out. We’ve seen how this film resonates deeply in our sessions when talking about 3 good qualities of a leader — especially courage, conviction, and care for others.
Related Read: Book Learning : Care To Dare
3. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020)
A biopic of the Indian Air Force pilot, Gunjan Saxena, who fought gender stereotypes to serve her country during the Kargil War.
Leadership Lesson:
Courage isn’t just about battlefields. It’s about showing up in spaces where you’re told you don’t belong. In our sessions with women leaders, this film often opens powerful conversations about inclusion and personal leadership.
Related Read: 5 Women Leaders Who Proved Leadership is Everyone’s Business
4. Super 30 (2019)
The story of educator Anand Kumar, who prepares underprivileged students for the IIT entrance exam.
Leadership Lesson:
Anand’s relentless belief in his students reminds us that leaders are multipliers. They lift others by seeing their potential — often before they can see it themselves. This idea fits squarely into activities to develop leadership skills among people managers.
Related Read: Building Leadership Skills for New Managers: A Comprehensive Guide
5. Article 15 (2019)
Inspired by true events, this film follows a young IPS officer (played by Ayushmann Khurrana) who fights systemic caste-based discrimination.
Leadership Lesson:
Great leaders challenge the status quo and question existing systems. The film is a reminder that being a good leader sometimes means taking the harder path to do what’s right, even if it’s unpopular.
Related Read:5 Strategies To Plan An Impactful Leadership Program
6. Super 30 (2019)
An inspiring true life story of the life of mathematics educator Anand Kumar and his unique educational program, this movie won both awards and hearts! Moved by the plight of poor students, who quit studies due to poverty, he starts his own coaching centre to impart free coaching to poor, yet bright students. The movie follows the torments, trials and tribulations he faces in this arduous journey. He gives them practical training and encourages them to learn all concepts in an easy and logical way. He is rewarded for his efforts when the first batch of 30 students take the IIT exam and all of them qualify successfully.
Leadership Lesson:
Anand Kumar exemplifies a leader’s role in motivating his students to always be ravenous for success. Very often, individuals lose the battle in their minds. Be it – poverty, hunger, lack of money or criminal attacks- he teaches them to face it head on, thus emphasizing the importance of having faith in self through adopting a growth mindset.
Related Read: 4 Leadership Lessons from the World of Jazz
7. M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)
This is another brilliantly made biographical sports film based on the life of former Test, ODI and T20I captain of the Indian national cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The movie shows the inspiring portrayal of Dhoni’s initial days as the wicket-keeper of his school’s cricket team and how he is encouraged to improve his batting skills by the cricket coach. There is also the portrayal of his struggle during the days he works as a ticket collector in the Railways, while trying to wedge- in time for cricket practice. Realizing his passion in life to be only cricket, he quits his job and trains hard for professional cricket. Leading and developing his team of men, he achieves fame by winning the T-20 World Cup match in the climax of the movie.
Related Read:5 Leadership Lessons From MS Dhoni
8. Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015)
Dashrath Manjhi is a poor man from a low caste, living in a remote village cut off from the world by a rocky mountain range. After he loses his wife to an accident – where she falls down a mountain while crossing it, he decides to carve out a path through the mountain, so that no one else would suffer his fate. Undeterred by the harsh elements and adversities, he sets out on a mission that spans for a period of 22 years carving a path through the mountains, all by himself, with just a hammer and a chisel.
Leadership lesson:
The movie is a stirring lesson that faith, resolution and hard work can truly move mountains. And being a leader does not need titles. Leadership is for anyone and everyone who is willing to take it up – as James Kouzes and Barry Posner say in The Leadership Challenge.
Related Read: 6 Leadership Development Trends To Watch Out In 2021
9. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
It is a biographical sports drama film based on the life of Milkha Singh, “the flying sikh” – an Indian athlete who was a national champion and an Olympian. Losing his parents at an early age to the partition violence, he grows up in impoverished refugee camps, until he gets noticed by a havildar in the army, for his fast running skills. The movie goes on to trace how he goes on to achieve greater heights by overcoming greed, pain, hostility, mistakes and various challenges to finally win gold medals in the Asian Games.
Leadership Lesson:
The movie demonstrates that by following your dreams – setting goals, getting inspiration from people around you, adapting to different situations, having faith, earning things you desire with hard work and dedication –you can turn all your dreams into reality.
Related Read:7 Distinct Leadership Styles
10. Lakshya (2004):
This war–drama film portrays Karan Shergill, a character that develops from being an aimless young man into an army officer. The story unveils the metamorphosis of Karan after he joins the Indian Military Academy. Unable to handle the strict military discipline and tough life there, he initially runs away. Later, after reconciling with the situation, he returns to the academy and becomes a focused, disciplined officer cadet and eventually commissions into the Indian Army as a Lieutenant. During the Kargil war, after being promoted as captain and heading a team of 12 men, he is assigned a tough and perilous project, which he completes successfully against all odds.
Leadership Lesson:
Lakshya is a beautiful story of individual self-discovery. It is about how discovering one’s purpose completely catalyses a person towards a meaningful life.
Related Read: 9 Leadership Lessons from US Navy Seals
11. Chak De! India (2007):
A movie was based on the real life story of an Indian hockey player Mir Ranjan Negi, who faced allegations of letting down his country in a match against Pakistan. The film follows the journey of the Indian national women’s hockey team from being a ragtag group of players from diverse backgrounds to their win at the Manchester Commonwealth games, after being trained by Kabir Khan, who played Negi’s character.
Leadership lesson:
The movie is a masterclass in showing resilience in the face of all odds. It also showcases the value of a leader, Kabir Khan and how he coaches an unruly gang of girls to think like a team and overcome impossible odds to rise above themselves and succeed.
Related Read:Disrupting “Lonely On Top”: The New Face Of Leadership
12. Swades (2004)
A true-life story of a non-resident Indian who returns to his homeland, the story resolves around Mohan Bhargava who initially works as a Project Manager at NASA in the United States. After learning that electricity inconsistency and frequent power cuts are a big problem in Charanpur, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, where his nanny lives – he decides to set up a small hydroelectric power generation facility from a nearby water source, after mobilizing the reluctant villagers. The story ends with Mohan succeeding against all odds and the village finally getting sufficient, consistent power from it.
Leadership lesson:
The movie projects how leading change calls for leaders to take others along. Despite having a noble vision himself, it is only when he is able to influence the villagers at the micro-level and nudge them towards change that he is finally able to succeed in his endeavour.
Related Read: Leadership Challenges: 10 Years To Midnight by Blair Sheppard
13. Lagaan (2001):
It is an epic musical sports film set in the early 1890s, during the late Victorian period of India’s colonial British Raj. The story revolves around a small village in Gujarat whose inhabitants are unable to pay the high taxes and are challenged by an arrogant British officer to a game of cricket. The villagers would be absolved from paying all taxes, if they manage to win a game, against the British. The movie documents how the villagers, under the leadership of Bhuvan, learn the nuances of the game that is alien to them and with great determination and teamwork, finally win the game against the British to change their village’s destiny.
Leadership lesson:
The story is a shining example of leadership and building a high performance team. Bhuvan displays how leaders should model the way through his selflessness, viewing every problem as an opportunity, setting a vision, executing well, showing steely determination, assigning people to apt roles, and leading with confidence.
Related Read: From Guilds to Growth: Timeless Lessons in Leadership Development
Honorable Mentions:
- Dangal (2016): A perfect example of coaching leadership style.
- Tamasha (2015): Reflects the need for purpose and the struggle of conforming to systems that stifle creativity.
- Sardar Udham (2021): Shows silent determination and the power of purpose-driven action.
Takeaways for Corporate L&D Professionals
- Use film clips in workshops to kickstart meaningful conversations. These scenes tap into emotions, making the learning memorable.
- Encourage leaders to reflect on characters’ behaviors. What worked? What failed?
- Link these reflections back to organizational contexts. Use them in basic leadership courses, manager enablement programs, or even offsites.
We’ve found these stories incredibly effective when building basic leadership skills. They help participants anchor leadership behaviors in relatable examples, especially when used with frameworks like Kouzes and Posner’s The Leadership Challenge.
Final Thoughts
Leadership lessons don’t just come from textbooks or executive programs. They’re hidden in scenes, struggles, and successes on screen. In our work, we’ve used movie storytelling in both virtual and in-person learning journeys to help leaders reflect, connect, and grow.
So the next time you’re planning an intervention to build leadership capacity, consider adding a little Bollywood.
Because when the credits roll, it’s the emotions we remember — and often, the insights too.
What movie inspired leadership in you? Drop it in the comments or write to us — we’d love to know.
