‘My only dream was to fly…supportive family, fellow officers helped achieve my dream’: Gunjan Saxena

Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl; makes for an essential watch for reasons that go beyond story or its telling. With respect to its screenplay and story handling, the film comes close to the definition of a ‘perfect biopic’ in Bollywood. It is a well-narrated tale of a female war hero of India.

A perfect biopic on India’s first female Shaurya Chakra recipient, Kargil war veteran and Indian Air Force officer, would naturally be a story of incredible valour. And so the expectation among movie lovers is definitely something like an interesting thing to watch it for. However due to the present scenario of insider-outsider and also some may have a doubt on casting process, the movie probably loses some of its viewers. But I would like to mention here a point that before passing any judgement or going by any decision, one should watch a movie (if it sounds interesting) with an open mind by keeping everything aside. Now let us see how well this movie has succeeded the expectation by considering every aspect of our audience.

So, who is Gunjan Saxena?

Flight lieutenant Gunjan Saxena was the first Indian Air Force woman officer who went to war. She made history during the Kargil war in 1999 when, as a flying officer, she flew a Cheetah aircraft into the combat zone and rescued several soldiers.

Born in Lucknow in 1975, Gunjan arrived in Delhi to study Physics from Hansraj College. After pursuing her graduation, Gunjan joined the Delhi Flying Club at Safdarjung for aviation training and in 1994, joined the Indian Air Force along with 24 other women–the first batch of women for training in the IAF.

The daughter of an Army officer, Gunjan was summoned by the IAF when the conflict between India and Pakistan escalated in 1999. Her first posting was in Udhampur, as part of the 132 Forward Area Control (FAC). Then only 25, Gunjan was asked to fly in Srinagar and she agreed, before making history as the only woman pilot in combat.

In her book ‘Kargil: Untold Stories from the War’, author Rachna Bisht Rawat describes how Gunjan flew over the battleground, covering the Kargil–Tololing–Batalik area, often flying over “mountainous terrain where Indian and Pakistani soldiers are firing at each other” to ferry wounded soldiers.

A woman in control of a fighter jet did ruffle some feathers but it wasn’t long before her presence was welcome and male pilots treated with her with respect and bonhomie, the book says.

During Kargil, the IAF pilot had a close shave when an enemy missile missed her aircraft and crashed behind it. She, however, continued with her duties.

Gunjan was later honoured with the Shaurya Chakra for displaying courage and grit during the war. She also came to be known as the Kargil Girl.

“I wasn’t really convinced as to why someone would want to do a movie on my life. You have lived your life so you don’t find it exciting. It’s exciting only when someone else looks at it,” - Gunjan Saxena