Bairanpalle Massacre: One Incident, Many Movies

The Bairanpalle(or Bhairanpally) Massacre is one of the most tragic incidents in Telangana’s history. On August 27, 1948, during the integration of the Hyderabad (Deccan) state into India, Razakar forces belonging to the Nizam attacked the village and killed around 200 Hindu villagers.

The bloodshed, bravery of some villagers and the Nizam forces’ cruelty have made their way into books and movies many times. The latest film to join the list of movies woven around the Bairanpalle incident is none other than young actor Roshan’s Champion movie, which is bankrolled by Ahswini Dutt’s Vyjayanthi Movies.

Retelling the painful chapter of how Nizam’s private militia, the Razakars, attacked the village, the film Champion tells the love story of a football player and a theatre artist. Before this film, some other movies explored this incident.

The film “Razakar” has portrayed the larger backdrop of violence and political turmoil in the Deccan state, attempting to document the horror and sacrifice associated with the incident. Also, that movie sparked debates over historical misinterpretation, too.

Then came another film titled “Bairanpalli”, featuring a female lead, and dealing with a similar story. For obvious reasons, those films received only moderate success, though.

As multiple films are being made around the same event, it is clear that this incident continues to resonate strongly, reminding audiences of a dark but important chapter in Telangana’s past.