Trust Bollywood to follow trends like no one else. And thus, it’s no surprise that after the blockbuster success of Aditya Dhar’s Uri and Anurag Singh’s Kesari, various factions in Bollywood have taken it upon themselves to replicate their success. Believe it or not, but Bollywood is reportedly producing 8 films on the armed forces.
Bhushan Kumar in particular is one of the biggest investors on this matter-he’s co-producing the film based on Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Joining hands with Kumar on the project are Sanjay Leela Bhansali (as co-producer) and Abhishek Kapoor (as director).
Kumar’s T-Series is also producing Ajay Devgn-starrer, Bhuj: Pride of India, that is based on the significance of the Bhuj airport during the 1971 war. Among Devgn’s co-stars on the film are names like Sanjay Dutt and Sonakshi Sinha.
Janhvi Kapoor is all set to play IAF pilot, Gunjan Saxena, also known as the ‘Kargil Girl’. One of the first female combat pilots of the Indian airforce, Saxena was credited with evacuating quite a few Indian soldiers during the Kargil war. Directed by Sharan Sharma (assistant director on Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani & Ae Dil Hai Mushkil), the film will have Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi in pivotal roles.
Directed by debutante, Vishnu Varadhan, the biopic on Kargil martyr Vikram Batra is one of the most awaited films of 2019. Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, the responsibility of playing Vikram Batra has been given to actor, Sidharth Malhotra.
Meghna Gulzar’s film on legendary Field Marshall, Sam Manekshaw, has been in the works for a while now. It could be a project that Gulzar takes up after she finishes shooting for Deepika Padukone-starrer, Chhapaak. A film on the British-Indian soldier, Gabbar Singh Negi, has also been proposed. Negi is a recipient of the Victorian Cross.
Arun Khetarpal, one of the youngest recipients of a posthumous Paramvir Chakra in the 1971 war, is also reportedly going to be the subject of a film directed by Sriram Raghavan and produced by Dinesh Vijan. Sushant Singh Rajput, who recently played the role of a dacoit in Abhishek Chaubey’s Sonchiriya, will play the role of rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, in a film based on the martyr of the Indo-Sino war of 1962.
