26 July is Kargil Vijay Divas. This marks the day that India successfully reclaimed the Indian peaks and territories that Pakistan had made incursions into and grabbed. The Kargil victory marked the end of the last major, full-fledged armed conflict between the two nations. Vijay Divas is important to remember not only for the Bravehearts who fought for their country but as a vital piece of our nation's history. We can choose to know a bit more about Kargil Divas today by reading up about it, and maybe even take in a movie or two:
Yes, a fauji will tell you - with some irritation - that soldiers don’t sit around on the border singing songs and reading and writing letters, but the 1997 film is still watchable in spite of the melodrama. Starring Sunny Deol, Suneil Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Puneet Issar, Jackie Shroff and others, Border is based on the Battle of Longewala during the 1971 war. Border had some beautiful, frankly tear-jerker songs. For me this one is the standout song for its lovely melody and its strong anti-war message.
One of the longest Indian films ever made (255 minutes), this J P Dutta movie is based on Operation Vijay and the particularly the battle of Tololing around the LOC. The movie with an ensemble cast of Starring Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Nagarjun, Manoj Bajpayee and others received mixed reviews. It tells the story of the real heroes of Kargil; many who received some of the highest wartime awards for their valour.
This Farhan Akhtar directed movie is one of the best Indian war films ever made in my view. It is also one of Hrithik Roshan's best-ever performances. However, it is very much a Bollywood film with the inevitable songs and the drama – cinematic licence and all that. Here is my fave song from the film – it is a song that is uplifting and which also quite brings a tear to the eye, I will freely admit.
This 2017 film was essentially a film about India’s Hunterwali, the stuntwoman known as Fearless Nadia but it was set against the backdrop of World War II and the Indian National Army of Subhash Chandra Bose. The film starring Saif Ali Khan, Kangana Ranaut and Shahid Kapoor was unusual but well-made and highly watchable. This high energy song is 'Miss Julia' putting up an entertainment show for the soldiers.
This is a well-made film based on true events of the 1971 war; particularly focusing on the Indian Navy. The story is about an Indian submarine that remained underwater for 18 days and the Pak sub PNS Ghazi that sank off the coast of Vishakhapatnam. Starring Rana Daggubatti, Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni and Tapsee Pannu, this is a realistic, slickly made thriller without Bollywood's usual melodrama or naach-gaana.
Though not a war movie in the sense that the other films above, this is a riveting spy movie where my heart jumped to my mouth on more than one occasion. Easily Alia Bhatt's career-defining role, this one was also a revelation because of the beautifully controlled role played by Vicky Kaushal. This song is lovely not just because of its composition but because of the inner battle that rages in Alia’s character Sehmat – longing for her home but forced by her duty to live in a country she considers an enemy. A terrific movie – if you haven’t watched it, may I recommend watching it this Kargil Vijay Divas?
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