If one has been interacting with faujis on social media these days (as I have) one would think that the only incident of any importance is the release and reaction to the film Gunjan Saxena: Kargil Girl. Individuals and groups have reacted with (mostly) outrage; claiming that the film affects them personally or institutionally. As a fauji wife of a respectable vintage, I obviously have my own dearly held opinions. So is the film based on fact or is it fiction? What does Gunjan Saxena feel about it? How have her colleagues reacted? Does the film sully the IAF’s image?
There is much that is clearly fiction: parts of the SSB selection process, a young female pilot getting her sorties cancelled at the drop of a hat. Saxena taking off in the middle of the night without sanctioned leave (this would be treated as AWOL and serious action would be taken). Silly shenanigans such as the arm-wrestling, the army officer brother mysteriously present where his sister is stationed; seemingly with the sole motive of protecting her… all this was clearly made up. And no, Saxena did not face enemy fire, nor did she rescue her own flight commander. No chopper was shot down in Kargil as shown and the Chetak Cheetah she flew could not possibly have withstood the kind of fire it was shown to come under. This is all fiction; fabrication, cinematic licence, call it what you will.
Also, showing young male officers acting like some college hostel inmates, constantly dancing to choli ke peechhe was silly. In reality, fauji parties are fun, and everyone is invited including families! The male officers ganging up against the single female officer is also obviously gross exaggeration – taking (cinematic) license to liberty.
There has been a fierce backlash: male officers are offended by the way they are portrayed. Women officers are annoyed that Saxena is portrayed as a victim, which belies their own experiences and reflects badly upon their professional capabilities. There is also the claim that Saxena herself is unnecessarily glorified for things she never did.
There is another woman officer who claims that it was she and not Saxena who was the first woman to fly during Kargil (check out the screengrab of her Facebook post). Another woman army officer has written an article expressing anger at the whole victim narrative of the film. Numerous people – part of the fauj or otherwise connected to it – claim that such portrayals tarnish the image of the Air Force. The film is poorly researched; as such many have called for the banning of the film.
Saxena herself has stood by the film. She clarifies that while the filmmakers have in fact taken many liberties with the narrative, she herself is faithfully portrayed. Her personality, her dreams, ambitions and determination are accurately represented. The appreciation of her colleagues and her achievements during her 8-year IAF stint are things that Saxena values tremendously.
She also clarifies that there was never any institutional gender discrimination, there were some individuals who were biased; who treated her differently or unfairly because of her gender. In an article, Gunjan Saxena clarifies that she is proud of her achievements; many ‘firsts’ of the organisation.
One of the reasons for the outrage is a supposedly false claim that Saxena was awarded the Shaurya Chakra. She clarifies that she never made or endorsed any such claim. She has repeatedly stated that she was accorded a civilian honour called “Shaurya Veer" by a government organisation and some ill-informed people decided to make what they wanted of it.
She also clarifies that the addition of melodrama and the cinematic liberties taken cannot ever dent the image of an organisation as glorious as the IAF. Her aim was to inspire others to chase their own dreams the way she did.
Firstly, when has Bollywood made a biopic worthy of the term? Anything claiming to be a biopic is always an overly dramatic and liberally embroidered narrative. Any story ‘inspired’ by true events or real people only ever has a smattering of fact with generous doses of fiction. Bollywood doesn’t do subtlety, nor does it bother too much with authenticity. So, there ought not to be too much breast-beating about the liberal addition of Hindi movie masala to the narrative --- it is par for the course.
As for the portrayal of gender bias; this was extremely exaggerated, no doubt. However as a fauji wife who has the greatest admiration and respect for women officers, I have found that they do in fact have to deal with gender bias. I do feel that a woman officer has to work harder to be seen to be as good as her male colleagues; to earn respect.
The bias is individual and not institutional for the most part, but it is present all right. Women officers are typically SSC (short service commission) and PC (permanent commission) remains elusive, as does scope for personal career advancement. Women in supervisory roles are few and far between and are wholly absent in commander positions; particularly in the premier squadrons. I have heard the odd CO decrying or wishing that he didn’t have to deal with ‘these lady officers’.
Many in the institution may not like admitting it, but it is a fact that a female officer is judged both as an officer as well as a woman; whereas male officers are not. This prism of gender is undeniable. The acts and omissions of women officers are frequently amplified and ascribed to their gender.
That said, the IAF is still one of the most progressive of military institutions in India. I have had the good fortune of knowing male officers who are far more sorted and woke than their civilian counterparts from similar backgrounds. So does the fiction and misrepresentation tarnish the reputation of such an organisation?
After weighty consideration, I concur with Gunjan Saxena's views: the IAF is too august an institution for its reputation to be marred by some Bollywood film. Yes, filmmakers need to be responsible about what they portray. Yes; movies matter and they do shape public perception. However, here’s the bottom line: Gunjan Saxena – Kargil Girl is a likeable film with a significant feel-good factor. It tells the story of a girl with dreams and determination; it is inspiring!
Even with all its flaws and misrepresentations, the film ends on a positive note. I can imagine plenty of young girls taking heart from the story of this one girl who dared to dream; had the determination to give flight to those dreams.
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