Film

Hawaizaada

Hawaizaada is a period drama about Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, an Indian inventor who attempts to build and fly an unmanned aircraft in 1895. It's an earnest, visually ambitious film that celebrates scientific curiosity and defiance of colonial-era skepticism. For viewers drawn to underdog stories about ingenuity and the price of dreaming ahead of your time.

If you liked this

The Wright Brothers1997

A focused historical drama about aviation's true pioneers, grounded in meticulous research and the genuine obstacles Wilbur and Orville faced. If you want the aerial achievement story done with documentary precision.

But It's a slower, more procedural film than Hawaizaada—less romance, more nuts and bolts. Some find period dramas about engineering dry.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India2001

Another Hindi epic about an underdog challenging an oppressive system through wit and determination. Uses cricket where Hawaizaada uses aviation, but the emotional core—colonized people proving their worth—is identical.

But It's over three hours long and structured as a formal drama. The scale and pacing aren't for everyone, and subtitles require focus.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India poster

Chungking Express1994

A visually inventive film that treats its era—1994 Hong Kong—as a character itself. Like Hawaizaada, it's painterly and romantic about a specific moment in time, though the genre is completely different.

But It's a love story, not a biopic, and its narrative is fragmented. If you want plot clarity, this will frustrate you.

Chungking Express poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Hawaizaada

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

A Trip to the Moon1902

Both treat impossible flight as an occasion for wonder rather than technical precision. Both are works of imagination first, history second.

Méliès' 14-minute fantasy-film from 1902 imagines space travel with the same ingenuity and wonder that Hawaizaada brings to aviation. It's not a documentary—it's an artist dreaming aloud, just as this film does. Silent cinema at its most playful and inventive.

But It's barely over 200 seconds and in black-and-white silent format. Without context, it can feel more like a curiosity than a film.

A Trip to the Moon poster
More like this (6)

Rang De Basanti2006

Young people fighting for something bigger than themselves against institutional resistance. Indian cinema at its most stirring, with genuine stakes and a memorable ensemble.

But It deals with violence and grief seriously. The tonal shift from the first half can feel abrupt if you're expecting a lighter film.

Rang De Basanti poster

The Imitation Game2014

Another historical drama about a single-minded genius working against the clock and against society's assumptions. Cumberbatch's performance is precise, the code-breaking sequences are tense.

But The screenplay takes liberties with history that some find bothersome. It's also quite dour—there's little lightness or humor in it.

The Imitation Game poster

Oppenheimer2023

Epic in scope, visually dazzling, and obsessed with the moral weight of invention. If Hawaizaada's theme of ambition and consequence appeals to you, this explores the same territory at scale.

But It's dense, three hours long, and demands engagement. The technical discussions and overlapping timelines can feel overwhelming.

Oppenheimer poster

October Sky1999

A father-and-son story wrapped around a boy's determination to build a rocket. Like Hawaizaada, it's about belief, family sacrifice, and proving that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

But It's a more conventional American sports-adjacent narrative. If you want something less predictable, this hits familiar beats.

October Sky poster

A Gentleman's Dignity2012

A Korean drama about men reinventing themselves later in life against societal expectation. The tone is lighter than Hawaizaada, but it shares that theme of defying the world's low expectations.

But It's a sprawling ensemble drama set in contemporary Seoul. If you want historical grounding or aviation stakes, you won't find them here.

A Gentleman's Dignity poster

The Disciple2020

An Indian film about an artist's decades-long pursuit of mastery and meaning in a tradition that doesn't pay. Like Hawaizaada, it's about obsession, tradition, and the cost of dedication.

But It's slow, introspective, and offers no catharsis. Some will find it rewarding; others will find it punishing.

The Disciple poster

People

Cast

Directing

Writing

Production

Recommended by

Waqt