Published 19:43 IST, August 29th 2019
'The Kargil Girl' Gunjan Saxena: First Indian woman to fly in combat
Janhvi Kapoor is all set to tell the story of 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' with her upcoming film. Here's all you need to know about the IAF pilot.
Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor is all set to tell the story of 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' on the silver screen with her upcoming film. On Thursday, Karan Johar's Dharma Production released the first look of the film that is based on the story of Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena, who was the first combat aviator of the Indian Air Force. 'Dhadak' actress Janhvi Kapoor is portraying the character of the Gunjan Saxena in the film. Along with Kapoor, the film also features Pankaj Tripathi as her father and Angad Bedi as her brother.
Who is Gunjan Saxena?
Flight lieutenant Gunjan Saxena made history with her significant role during the 1999 Kargil War. Entrusted to be one of the first ladies to fly into combat zone during the war, Gunjan Saxena flew her Cheetah aircraft and air-dropped important supplies to the Indian forces at high points during the war. During her journeys, she also picked the injured and dead soldiers from mountain ranges amid the war. After becoming the first female IAF combat pilot, she also became the first female to receive the Shaurya Chakra for her sacrifices during the Kargil War. Along with her was another valorous pilot Srividya Rajan who flew with her to the combat zone. Amid her sorties during the war, Gunjan Saxen, who later came to be known as the Kargil Girl, also had a close shave after a missle from Pakistan almost missed her aircraft and crashed behind it into a hill. The brave young IAF pilot, however, continued to do her duties towards the country. She pursued her graduation from Delhi University's Hansraj College after which she joined the Delhi Flying Club at Safdarjung.
'The Kargil War' first look
The Dharma Productions shared the looks of 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' on social media. In the caption, the profduction house called Gunjan Saxena as the girl who "created her own turf in a man's world with unparalleled bravery & courage". In one of the stills of the Bollywood film released by Karan Johar, Janhvi can be seen in a rather carefree avatar as she holds a paper plane, symbolising Gunjan Saxena's unparalleled contribution as an IAF pilot. The film is directed by Sharan Sharma, who shares writing credits with Nikhil Mehrotra. The Bollywood film is scheduled to release on March 13, 2020.
Updated 20:34 IST, August 29th 2019