Watching political films and television series can provide fascinating insights into the complex worlds of politics, power struggles, and social challenges. They tackle subjects like corruption, ideology, and the human condition within political frameworks with captivating plots and fascinating characters, challenging viewers’ viewpoints and igniting conversations about challenges in the real world. These works offer an insightful perspective on the complexity of politics and its effects on people and society, whether they are set in the corridors of power or on the campaign road.

1. Boss (2011)

Farhad Safinia is the creator of the American political drama television series Boss. In the show, Kelsey Grammer plays Chicago mayor Tom Kane, who was recently identified as having Lewy body dementia, a degenerative neurological condition.

Produced by Lionsgate Television, Category 5 Entertainment, and Grammnet Productions, the series debuted in the US on the premium television network Starz. Before the show debuted, on September 27, 2011, Starz revealed that Boss has been renewed for a second season consisting of ten episodes. On October 21, 2011, the first season debuted, and on August 17, 2012, the second season debuted.

The news of the show’s cancellation by Starz was released on November 20, 2012. After series creator Farhad Safinia declined to proceed with the project, intentions to complete the show’s stories through a film were shelved.

2. Designated Survivor (2016)

David Guggenheim is the creator of the American political thriller drama television series, Designated Survivor. It ran for three seasons, the first two on ABC and the third and last one only on Netflix. Starring opposite Kiefer Sutherland is Thomas Kirkman, an American academic designated as the designated survivor for the State of the Union address. Following the deaths of all those in the presidential succession line ahead of him due to an explosion, Kirkman unexpectedly rises from the position of U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to President of the United States. Kirkman searches for the truth about the attack while addressing his inexperience as head of state.

3. White House Plumbers (2023)

Based on the 2007 book Integrity by Egil and Matthew Krogh, White House Plumbers is an American satirical political drama television miniseries directed by David Mandel and written and produced by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck. On May 1, 2023, the series, which stars Woody Harrelson, Justin Theroux, Domhnall Gleeson, Kiernan Shipka, and Lena Headey, made its HBO debut.

4. The Politician (2019)

Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan are the creators of the American comedy-drama television series The Politician, which debuted on Netflix. Along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Platt, and Alexis Martin Woodall, the trio also acts as executive producers. Every season of the show revolves around a separate political race that Payton Hobart (Platt), an affluent Santa Barbaran, is interested in.

On September 27, 2019, Netflix launched the first season. Starring in the series are Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rahne Jones, Theo Germaine, Lucy Boynton, Bob Balaban, Laura Dreyfuss, Julia Schlaepfer, and Zoey Deutch. In the first season, David Corenswet, Benjamin Barrett, and Jessica Lange were main cast members; in the second season, Judith Light and Bette Midler became main cast members. The second season’s filming began in November 2019 and debuted on June 19, 2020. A third and last season is now under production.

5. Raajneeti (2010)

The 2010 Indian Hindi-language political thriller film Raajneeti (transl. Politics) was co-written, co-directed, and co-produced by Prakash Jha. Anjum Rajabali and Prakash Jha wrote the screenplay. Based on the Mahabharata, the film featured an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee, Sarah Thompson, and Naseeruddin Shah. It depicted a classic battle between opposing political dynasties and parties. Prakash Jha Productions was the original producer, and UTV Motion Pictures and Walkwater Media were the distributors.

In Bhopal, Raajneeti was shot extensively. The tagline “Politics and Beyond” was used to market the title, which translates literally as “Politics” and contextually as “Affairs of State.”

6. Main Atal Hoon (2024)

The Hindi-language biographical film Main Atal Hoon (stylized as Main ATAL Hoon) was written and directed by Rishi Virmani in 2024. Pankaj Tripathi plays Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former prime minister. Under the auspices of Bhanushali Studios Limited and Legend Studios, Vinod Bhanushali, Sandeep Singh, and Kamlesh Bhanushali produce the movie. On January 19, 2024, the movie was released in theaters throughout India.

The film chronicles the life of India’s former prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It draws attention to Vajpayee’s leadership of India amid difficult periods, such as the nuclear tests at Pokhran and the Kargil War with Pakistan. It also looks at the man behind the politician, highlighting his love of poetry and literature, his relationships with family and friends, and his personal challenges.

7. Thackeray (2019)

Abhijit Panse is the writer and director of the 2019 Indian biographical film Thackeray, which was shot in both Hindi and Marathi simultaneously. The documentary chronicles the life of Indian political party Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Thackeray in the movie, while Amrita Rao plays his spouse. The movie came out on January 25, 2019, which was just after Bal Thackeray became 93 years old.

Balasaheb Thackeray, a Marathi politician, is the subject of the biographical movie.

8. Swatantra Veer Savarkar (2024)

The life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is the subject of the 2024 Indian Hindi film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. In addition to playing the title role of Savarkar, Randeep Hooda is also the director, co-writer, and co-producer. The movie debuted in theaters on March 22, 2024.

The movie gives a thorough biographical account of Savarkar’s early years, covering all of the significant moments in his life, frequently in an almost reverent manner toward the main character. Although the film has drawn criticism for advocating a biased agenda and twisting history, critics have praised the performances of the actors.

9. Aarakshan (2011)

The 2011 Hindi-language political drama film Aarakshan (transl. “Reservation”) starred Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Deepika Padukone, and Prateik Babbar. The film, which is a socio-political drama directed by Prakash Jha, is centered on the contentious caste-based reservations policy in Indian government employment and educational institutions. On August 12, 2011, the movie was released to mostly positive reviews. At the box office, it brought in less money than expected.

10. Madras Cafe (2013)

Madras Cafe, a 2013 political action thriller in Hindi language, was directed by Shoojit Sircar and starred newcomer Raashi Khanna alongside John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri. The movie takes place in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when India was intervening in the civil conflict in Sri Lanka and when Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. The movie centers on an Indian Army special officer who, soon after the Indian peacekeeping force was forced to evacuate, was sent by the intelligence agency R&AW to oversee covert activities in Jaffna.

The release date of Madras Cafe was August 23, 2013. According to Box Office India, the movie did better than usual business. At the 61st National Film Awards, the movie took home the Best Audiography National Film Award for Bishwadeep Chatterjee’s sound design and Nihar Ranjan Samal’s location sound recording.