The Kargil War was fought between India and Pakistan from May 1999 to July 1999. The reason for the armed conflict was infiltration by Pakistani troops on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LOC). Some films on the subject matter were quite well made and clicked with the audiences while others failed to garner similar acclaim. In this article, we have compiled for our readers the highs and lows of Kargil War based movies from a filmmaking perspective.
LOC: Kargil (High – for an honest effort)
After directing the National Award-winning war-action-drama ‘Border’, J.P. Dutta helmed this multi-starrer war film. The film’s ensemble cast included big names like Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpayee, Nagarjuna, Abhishek Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Akshaye Khanna, amongst others. Abhishek Bachchan had played the part of Captain Batra in the film. The well-intentioned movie was admired for its detailed depiction of the war. However, its runtime of around 4 hours 15 minutes was considered too lengthy by a segment of the audience.
Stumped (Low)
Although the film has cricket as its backdrop, its connection with the Kargil War becomes apparent when one of the protagonists is called back to Kargil by the Indian Army. Albeit the film failed to impress the audiences despite high-profile cameos from Sachin Tendulkar and Salman Khan.
Dhoop (High)
The film is a simple and profound tale with its heart in the right place. It follows an old couple (played by Om Puri and Revathy) whose only son (Sanjay Suri) gets killed in Kargil. They are offered a plot of land for setting up a petrol pump, by the government. They reluctantly accept the offer. However, their misery is further aggravated as they must deal with rampant corruption in order to get the job done.
Lakshya (High)
This Farhan Akhtar‘s directorial is arguably the finest film based on the Kargil War backdrop. The film follows the fictional story of a carefree character Karan Shergill (Hrithik Roshan) and how a series of incidents transforms him into an extremely committed soldier hellbent on achieving an almost impossible mission for his country. The film also featured Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta in important roles.
Tango Charlie (High)
The film was admired by many critics for its visuals and unique narrative. The story follows a BSF trooper (Bobby Deol) and his multiple missions in the Northeast, facing Maoists in Telangana, Gujrat riots, and of course, the Kargil Conflict. This war film was helmed by Mani Shankar (Director – 16 December) and also featured Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, and Sunil Shetty.
Mausam (Low)
Eminent actor Pankaj Kapur directed his son Shahid Kapoor alongside Sonam Kapoor in this romance-war-drama. The story touched upon various events like the Babri Masjid demolition, 1993 Mumbai Bombings, 9/11 attacks, and Kargil War was one of them. The film had received mixed reviews at the time of its release. However, despite an honest intention and a sincere lead act by Shahid Kapoor, the film did not get the expected box office numbers.
Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (High)
The film was at the receiving end of controversies pertaining to the alleged negative portrayal of the Indian Air Force personnel and nepotism charges. Despite the allegations, the film generally received positive reviews from many critics. The film revolves around Gunjan Saxena, who was one of the first Indian women to become an Indian Air Force pilot in combat. The titular character was essayed by Janhvi Kapoor, with Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi in prominent roles.
Another film namely ‘Shershaah’ – the biopic of Captain Vikram Batra is also based on the Kargil War. Shershaah’ is expected to start streaming from 12th August 2021 onwards on the Amazon Prime Video OTT platform. We have high hopes for the patriotic film whose release coincides with India’s Independence Day weekend.
How well ‘Shershaah’ narrates the inspiring story of Captain Batra and how adeptly the role is essayed by Sidharth Malhotra can be ascertained only after the film’s release. Having said that, with Karan Johar producing the film, its production values are expected to be first-rate, which is critical for making a war film. Let’s see whether ‘Shershaa’ gets tagged as a ‘High’ or a ‘Low’ from a filmmaking perspective.
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