Trailer Of Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl Promises An Inspiring And Empowering Ride

The trailer for Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, starring Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi, was released this morning. The film is a biopic that tells the story of our country's first Air Force woman officer who went to war. During the Kargil War in 1999, Gunjan saved soldiers and was awarded the Shaurya Vir prize for showing bravery and grit during the battle. The film also stars Vineet Kumar Singh, Ayesha Raza and Manav Vij in pivotal parts. Directed by Sharan Sharma, it is produced by Dharma Productions and Zee Studios. The film will premiere on Netflix on August 12, 2020.

Akshay Kumar was among the first few actors to share the trailer of the movie. “Harr sapne ki udaan aise hi ho! Make way for the truly inspiring story of #GunjanSaxena – The Kargil Girl and all my best wishes to the team. To the real hero, Gunjan Saxena – thank you for inspiring many to chase their dreams with the same courage and soar higher!” he wrote on Twitter. Shah Rukh Khan also shared the trailer and wrote, “A story of a hero like no other – Gunjan Saxena – India’s first woman Air Force Officer to go to war. Wishing love and luck to the team for this inspiring film. #GunjanSaxena”.

The Trailer

The trailer introduces us to a young Gunjan Saxena (Janhvi Kapoor) talking about her dreams of becoming a pilot. Pankaj Tripathi plays the role of a supportive father, who motivates his daughter, saying, “whether it is a woman or a man who flies the plane, they are both called pilots”. With his support, Gunjan pursues her dreams, despite her mother, brother and society telling her to do otherwise.

Also Read: Kargil Vijay Diwas: Meet Gunjan Saxena, The First Woman Aviator At War

We see the struggles Gunjan faces after she joins the Indian Air Force as a pilot. From not having a women’s washroom at the training centre to getting bullied by male officers who consider her weak, Gunjan bears it all. Determined to not give up on her conviction, the trailer concludes by showing many quick shots of Gunjan’s journey, of how this frail-looking girl ends up fighting in a war, being one of the 25 young women comprising the first batch of women IAF trainee pilots.

The Real-Life Hero

During the heightened tensions between Indian and Pakistani troops in 1999, the 25-year-old woman Flying Officer was tasked with reconnaissance and rescue, among other things. Saxena guided her helicopter, dodging artillery shells through the steep valleys of Kargil. With her participation in Operation Vijay, she secured her place in the IAF history books as "The Kargil Girl" having flown her Cheetah helicopter in extremely hostile terrain to retrieve injured soldiers in the Kargil War.

Also Read: Amelia Earhart: The Aviation Icon Who Showed What Women Can Do

The film, based on this real-life story, is among the many which won’t be getting a big-screen release due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite that, the trailer does look impressive, as do the performances. Let’s cross our fingers and hope that with this film, we’d be fastening our seatbelts for a joy ride.

Picture Credit: YouTube Screenshot

Dyuti Gupta is an intern with SheThePeople.TV. The views expressed are the author’s own.