A film based on the real-life story of Flight lieutenant Gunjan Saxena is all set to premiere on Netflix. Saxena is the first woman to fly choppers in India. She evacuated and saved the lives of many injured Indian soldiers in Kargil, 18 years ago. She was the first Indian woman Air Force officer to go into a war zone.
"Plane ladka udaye ya ladki, usse pilot hi kehte hain"- Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl, arriving soon. #GunjanSaxenaOnNetflix#JanhviKapoor @DharmaMovies @ZeeStudios_ @karanjohar @apoorvamehta18 @TripathiiPankaj @Imangadbedi @ItsViineetKumar #ManavVij #SharanSharma pic.twitter.com/3blmvho4rG
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) June 9, 2020
Saxena was the first Indian woman combat aviator who evacuated injured soldiers in the 1999 Kargil War.
Janhvi Kapoor is playing the lead role in the biopic Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. It was previously scheduled to have a theatrical release, on April 2. But, like many movies this year, the film has opted for an OTT release. Netflix India just dropped the official teaser on its Twitter handle on Tuesday. The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi in crucial roles.
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What You Should Know
- The biopic based on the life of Flight lieutenant Gunjan Saxena is set to have a Netflix release.
- Janhvi Kapoor is playing the lead role in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl.
- The film was to have a theatrical release on 2 April, which was canceled when India went into lockdown.
- Films such as Gulabo Sitabo and Shakuntala Devi have also opted for OTT release.
Saxena broke the glass ceiling for women pilots to be inducted into the Indian Air Force. Along with flight lieutenant Srividya Rajan, Saxena made Operation Vijay a historic event. She flew a Cheetah helicopter into the war zone and evacuated injured soldiers during the Kargil War.
Gunjan Saxena is a defining film based on a true story about a woman who showed unparalleled courage, and inspiration to many in the coming years.- producer Karan Johar
After wrapping up the remaining shooting in December 2019, Janhvi had shared an Instagram about her emotional journey during the film. She wrote, “Spent two days trying to think of a caption that’ll do justice to what this experience has meant to me but nothing sums it up. It’s a film wrap and I feel blessed to have been on this special journey, and through it to find my best friend @sharansharma – like you say it’s all about the process; and I don’t think there will ever be one as pure, honest, adventurous and memorable as this one. Can’t wait for you guys to see it.”
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Saxena, who belongs to Udhampur, comes from an Army family. Having grown up watching her combat aviator father and her brother donning the uniform, Saxena knew her true calling. During the Kargil war, Saxena was stationed at the operational zone in Srinagar. She was awarded the Shaurya Chakra. She was one of the 25 women who were part of the first batch of IAF trainee pilots.