Some wounds never heal, and some stories refuse to fade. The partition of 1947; one of the most traumatic events in Indian history has been revisited time and again through cinema, each filmmaker bringing a distinct lens to the heartbreak, violence, and human resilience of that era.

From Tamas to Train to Pakistan, from Pinjar to Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and now The Delhi Files, every film has sought to capture different dimensions of partition, some focusing on personal loss, others on the political chaos, and many on the sheer brutality of it all. But how have these perspectives changed over time? And what does The Delhi Files bring to the conversation that previous films may not have explored?

Let’s take a closer look.

1. Tamas (1988)

Govind Nihalani’s Tamas was a landmark film. One that didn’t shy away from showing partition as it was; raw, devastating, and painfully real. Based on Bhisham Sahni’s novel of the same name, the film was unapologetically dark, portraying communal violence not as an abstract event, but as something that destroyed lives overnight.

The grit of Tamas lies in its honesty. It follows the journey of Nathu, a tanner forced to flee after unknowingly slaughtering a pig at the behest of British officers; an act that sparks riots. Through his eyes, we see the brutality of partition unfold most chillingly. Women jumping into wells to escape dishonour, mobs running wild, and neighbours turning into enemies overnight.

There was no sugarcoating, no silver lining. Just the stark reality of what happens when political decisions are made with little regard for human cost.

2. Train to Pakistan (1998)

If Tamas was about confronting the brutality of partition, Train to Pakistan (based on Khushwant Singh’s novel of the same name) was about capturing its tragedy through an intimate human lens. The film, directed by Pamela Rooks, told the story of a fictional border town, Mano Majra, where Hindus and Muslims had coexisted peacefully until partition tore that harmony apart.

Unlike Tamas, which was expansive in scope, Train to Pakistan narrows its focus. It tells the love story of a Sikh boy, Juggut, and a Muslim girl, Nooran, using their doomed romance as a metaphor for the more immense heartbreak of partition. The film is deeply emotional, showing how ordinary people, who had no role in political decisions, became victims of circumstances beyond their control.

While Tamas was brutal and almost documentary-like, Train to Pakistan relied on sentimentality. It mourned what was lost rather than confronting how it happened.

3. Pinjar (2003)

One of the most powerful aspects of Pinjar, directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, was its focus on what partition meant for women, arguably its most brutalised victims.

Based on Amrita Pritam’s novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Puro, a Hindu girl kidnapped by a Muslim man, Rashid, as part of an old family feud. What begins as a personal act of vengeance becomes symbolic of what many women endured during partition; being abducted, forced into marriages, and losing not just their families, but their entire identities.

Unlike previous films that focus on communal violence, Pinjar makes the partition deeply personal. It isn’t about mass killings or border trains filled with corpses. It’s about what happens when history decides your fate, and you’re left with no control over your own life.

The film’s ending, where Puro chooses to stay with Rashid, despite being given a chance to return, is one of the most complex portrayals of identity and trauma in partition narratives. It shows that survival isn’t just about staying alive; it’s about finding agency in a world that has stripped it away.

4. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013): Partition Through a Survivor’s Eyes

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag isn’t about partition itself, but remains one of the most powerful portrayals of how the trauma of 1947 continues to shape lives long after the borders were drawn.

Through the lens of legendary athlete Milkha Singh, the film depicts the long-lasting scars of partition. His entire family is massacred before his eyes, forcing him to flee to India as a child refugee. The Milkha Singh we meet in the film is a broken man; his childhood stolen, his past haunting him at every turn.

This one is a very different kind of partition story. It isn’t about the event itself, but about its aftershocks. It shows that even for those who survived, they carry the pain of partition within them for life.

5. The Delhi Files (2025): A New Lens on Partition, Bengal, and Delhi’s Role

So, where does The Delhi Files fit into this evolving narrative? Unlike previous films, which have largely focused on Punjab, The Delhi Files shifts its attention to the Bengal side of partition, a part of history that has often been sidelined in mainstream cinema.

By exploring events like Direct Action Day, the Noakhali riots, and Delhi’s political turmoil in the 1940s, The Delhi Files widens the scope of partition films. While Tamas confronts us with the horror, Pinjar focuses on the personal cost, and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag examines its long-term effects, The Delhi Files attempts to complete the picture; filling in the missing chapters of partition that history books have often skimmed over.

Beyond its historical aspect, The Delhi Files also raises a crucial question: How much do we really know about our past? Films like Train to Pakistan and Pinjar make us feel the pain of partition, but The Delhi Files aims to make us question our understanding of it. It doesn’t just tell a story; it challenges the audience to rethink what they know.

Final Thoughts

From the unfiltered horrors of Tamas to the personal tragedies of Pinjar, from the survivor’s perspective in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag to the broader historical narrative of The Delhi Files, partition cinema has evolved significantly over the years.

Each film has told a different version of the same story, revealing new layers with every retelling. What remains unchanged, however, is the emotional weight of these narratives. Because no matter how many years pass, partition is not just history, it is a lived memory, a scar carried by generations.

And as long as there are stories left untold, filmmakers will continue to bring them to light, one frame at a time.