Republic Day 2026: Sanjay Leela Bhansali brings Indian Cinema to Kartavya Path

Through Bharat Gatha, the Republic Day Parade reaffirmed cinema’s place within India’s civilizational storytelling continuum, a modern medium carrying the soul of timeless Indian narratives to the world.

In a historic moment for Indian cinema, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali joined hands with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and presented a special tableau under the theme Bharat Gatha at the 77th Republic Day.

The association marked a significant milestone with the tableau moving down Kartavya Path. With this, Bhansali scripted history and became the first Indian film director to represent Indian cinema at one of the most prestigious ceremonial events.

The tableau positioned cinema within India’s larger storytelling tradition, celebrating it as a medium capable of carrying timeless Indian stories to audiences across the world.

Curated under Bharat Gatha, the tableau presents cinema not merely as an art form or entertainment medium, but as a powerful extension of India’s age-old tradition of narrating stories — a tradition that has travelled from folklore and epics to theatre, music, and finally to the global language of cinema. Within Bharat Gatha, cinema finds representation as a medium that carries Indian stories, values, and emotions across generations and geographies.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Leela Bhansali said, “I felt deeply honoured to represent Indian cinema and the creator community at the Republic Day Parade under the theme Bharat Gatha. Co-creating this tableau with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting was a tribute to India’s timeless stories and the power of cinema to retell them. It reflects the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s vision of taking Indian storytelling to the world and celebrating cinema as one of India’s strongest cultural voices.”

Bhansali’s presence was widely seen as a fitting choice — a rare filmmaker of this era who carries forward the legacy of cinematic pioneers such as Raj Kapoor, V. Shantaram, and Mehboob Khan. Through Bharat Gatha, the Republic Day Parade reaffirmed cinema’s place within India’s civilisational storytelling continuum, a modern medium carrying the soul of timeless Indian narratives to the world.