Tribute to real heroes

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War, we explore the stories that defined the bravery of our soldiers. With this curated listen-and-watch list, enrich your understanding of one of India’s most significant military victories.

Shershaah
Platform: Prime Video

This biographical war film is inspired from the life of Captain Vikram Batra. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, highest Indian military decoration, for his courage and sacrifice during the Kargil War. Batra was loved and admired by his fellow soldiers and was given the codename ‘Shershaah’. The movie Shershaah captures his contribution to the Kargil War. The roles are played by the much-loved Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani.

Lakshya
Platform: Netflix

A fictional story set in the backdrop of the Kargil War, director Farhan Akhtar brings to you this cult classic. We see a young aimless man, Hrithik Roshan, transform into a brave soldier who goes on to lead the Army during the war. The realistic portrayal makes you feel like you are in the war zone while you secretly root for Hrithik Roshan, as he courageously fights opponents and reunites with his love interest.

Kargil: From Surprise to Victory
Platform: Audible

It is the story of the Kargil War from the man-in-charge, General V P Malik, who was the Chief of the Indian Army at that time. He led the planning, coordination and execution of the operation. In this audiobook, the author shares his first-hand experience at Kargil, along with afterthoughts on important lessons for India’s defence preparedness. This book is a testimony to the unparalleled heroism displayed by our troops.

The Kargil Girl
Platform: Audible

Written by the Kargil girl herself, Flt Lt Gunjan Saxena shares with us her nerv- wracking story from the war. She was 29-year-old when called in to help in the war zone. This call came at a time when female pilots were yet to be employed in such conflicts. From airdropping vital supplies to Indian troops in the Dras and Batalik regions to evacuating casualties in the midst of the ongoing battle to informing seniors of enemy positions, she fearlessly discharged her duties. In the book, she elaborates several incidents from the war, including one of narrowly escaping a Pakistani rocket missile during one of her sorties. Tune into her autobiography to know how Gunjan Saxena rightfully earned the sobriquet The Kargil Girl.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl
Platform: Netflix

There’s also a film on The Kargil Girl Gunjan Saxena. Janhvi Kapoor was roped-in for the screen adaptation of Saxena’s autobiography. It depicts the struggles she faced to ultimately becoming the only woman pilot from the Indian defence forces to enter the Kargil War. Directed by Sharan Sharma, the film also stars Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi.

LOC Kargil
Platform: Prime Video

This is the first Hindi film to be made on the Kargil War back in 2003. Famous for making war films like Border and Paltan, director JP Dutta made this one with a huge ensemble cast, including Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Suniel Shetty and Sanjay Dutt. Through these actors, the film paid tributes to the brave martyrs of the Kargil War.

(With inputs by Saumya Singh)