The Hindu : A celluloid tribute to the Kargil heroes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 28, 2003

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A celluloid tribute to the Kargil heroes

By Mandira Nayar

Social activist and former Miss India, Nafisa Ali, flanked by actresses Priti Jhangiyani (left) and Isha Koppikar during a press conference on the film `LoC-Kargil' in New Delhi on Saturday. — PTI

NEW DELHI DEC. 27. A film on the "Border'' issue, "LoC-Kargil" is as "real'' as "reel'' can get. In paying this tribute to the brave soldiers who fought against all odds — nature and man — to defeat their enemy, director J.P. Dutta has ensured that his crew lived the experience. Shot in Leh, the highest battlefield in the world in the dead of winter, the film certainly does not compromise on authenticity. Using only live ammunition, authentic AK-47s, no extras, Mr. Dutta even had his crew flown in earlier to acclimatise them.

"I think the film is more real than the Army realises. I took full support from them. I had no extras; they were all from the Army. If it were any other Army, there would have been a revolt. It is only our boys from the middle class who are willing to give up their lives for Bharat Mata," said the director at a press conference here today.

While the film brings out the emotional aspects of war, its "authenticity" might be a "deterrent" for some. More than three hours long, the biggest film of this year might also be the longest. "This film is a docu-drama. It is not a normal script and could not confine itself to the restrictions of commercial cinema. I have only restricted myself to eight battalions. But keeping Kargil in mind — the biggest war theatre in which 10 battalions fought and there were 40,000 troops — I think I could have lengthened my film by another one and a half hours. I could not let cinema dominate what the Army had done. I wish I could include everything," he said.

Often accused of using patriotism to make the cash registers ring, Mr. Dutta — whose last film, "Border", was a huge hit — claims that he is looking forward to peace. "We are talking about peace only because there was a war. Kargil is a deterrent like the nuclear bomb. Attack us and the Indian Army goes mad. Just because we are talking about peace does not mean that we should not talk about Kargil. It is only because of Kargil that we have come to this stage," he said.

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