"I'm more a nationalist than a patriot and my films definitely echo my nationalist zeal," filmmaker Gowariker said.

"In Lagaan, Swades or Jodhaa Akbar you will find nationalism either evident or in the dialogues."

In Oscar-nominated Lagaan (2001), set in the Victorian period of the British Raj, a peasant leads his team to victory in a cricket match against the British and redeems fellow villagers from the burden of land tax.

And in Swades (2004), a NASA scientist returns to his roots to help a power-plagued village generate its own electricity.

Jodhaa Akbar, which has opened in cinemas, is the love story of Mughal Emperor Akbar and his Rajput consort but also sees the 16th-century sovereign defending 'Hindustan' against foreign invaders.

Gowariker says films can play a part in infusing a sense of nationalism in people. "We need to be constantly reminded of our nationalism," the 39-year-old filmmaker said.