Author: Lokesh Sapre
Publication: Rediff.com
Date: January 2, 2004
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/02diary.htm
After the blazing summer of 1999, Delhi was
bathing in the respite provided by the monsoons in July. I was working on
a campaign idea with my art partner when I got a call from my mom. She sounded
anxious, but managed to tell me that Anuj -- he was one of my pals and lived
near my house -- had been killed in Kargil.
I was stunned. I kept the phone down but her
words kept echoing in my ears. Till then, I had been reading the newspapers
and watching the news bulletins on television for updates on the war-like
situation at our borders. Everyday, I'd discuss what was happening at Kargil
with my colleagues, friends and family. The visuals of the dead bodies of
our soldiers being brought back in coffins evoked a feeling of sadness.
But, as I kept the phone down that day, I
was devastated. The reality of what was happening at Kargil hit me for the
first time. When someone you know really well dies that way, the shock can
be immense. I broke down and left for home immediately.
As I drove though the gates of our society,
a grim silence greeted me. People were standing around in small groups, talking
intermittently in hushed voices. As I drove towards my house, my eyes instinctively
searched out Anuj's home. It was enveloped in silence. A few people had assembled
below his house.
I rushed to my home where my mom told me what
had happened. The day before yesterday -- on the night of July 7-July 8 --
Captain Anuj Nayyar had led a counter attack against the Pakistanis. His objective
was to recapture a peak that was in the hands of the enemy. He killed nine
enemy soldiers and destroyed three medium machine gun bunkers before he was
felled by an RPG shell. Thanks to his bravery and inspired leadership -- he
took over the command of company after the commander was injured at the beginning
of the attack -- the peak was captured by the Indian Army.
Mom told me they were waiting for Anuj's body,
which was expected to arrive that evening. Dad and she had already visited
his parents to pay their condolences. I asked her how they were reacting to
the news. She said Anuj's mom was crying profusely but his dad looked composed.
I could understand that. His dad was his greatest
motivator and the reason why Anuj joined the Army in the first place. Anuj's
father was a strong-willed man who was more Anuj's best friend than a dad.
Anuj and I were friends since our school days.
We continued to remain in touch till he joined the National Defence Academy.
After that, we'd bump into each other on those rare occasions when he was
back in town on a vacation.
In August of 1999, Anuj was planning to get
engaged to his childhood sweetheart. His dad had even brought him a new car
and was planning to gift it to him on the occasion.
My mom insisted I should go and meet his parents
but memories of Anuj filled my mind and I just could not muster up the courage
to do so.
Anuj's body was bought to his residence with
full state honours the next day. It was kept in the park below our apartment
so that everyone could pay their final homage. His body was later taken to
the Army cantonment cremation ground where it was cremated with full state
honours.
For some time, Anuj lingered in my mind. Then,
with the passage of time, the memories were covered in dust. Yet, they were
closer to the surface than I realised. As I watched J P Dutta's LOC Kargil,
the memories came back to life.
A straight-in-your-face reality film interspersed
with a bare minimum of fictional moments, LOC Kargil takes you into the field
of action and recreates the Kargil war as authentically as it happened.
The film's characters represent the Kargil
martyrs and the other brave soldiers of the Indian Army. So you have Captain
Anuj Nayyar, Captain Vikram Batra, Lieutenant Manoj Pandey, Lieutenant Colonel
Y K Joshi and many of the other brave men who authored the script that made
India the winner in the Kargil war. It captures their valour in the field
of battle; it documents how they led from the front; how they motivated the
soldiers under their command; how they dealt with each new challenge and each
new hardship; how they decimated their enemies. It encapsulates the soldier's
quest for victory in extremely hostile conditions.
LOC Kargil is based on authentic research
and gives you the events as they took place. A lot of care has been taken
to see that the film is accurate even in its minutest detail.
LOC Kargil boasts of a huge starcast. I believe
there are a total of 32 stars in the film. Well, after seeing it, I can understand
why Dutta needed so many stars. It took more than a few glorious heroes to
win the war and the four-hour movie tries to feature most of them.
All the stars have played their parts extremely
well. It's very difficult to pinpoint any one actor and say he was much better
than the others. The story keeps moving from one character to another without
letting any particular character hog more than his fair share of screen time.
LOC Kargil is a podium where all characters stand on an equal platform. One
character's bravery and glory doesn't shade the exploits of the other characters.
Saif Ali Khan has played Captain Anuj. I can't
think of any other actor who could have done a better job. The manner in which
he slipped into his character's skin is superb; he reminded me so much of
Anuj.
The background score and dialogues are gripping;
the songs, too, are pretty intense and act as much needed breathers in the
film. I believe most of the movie was shot in Leh (I bumped into many of the
stars and even went to the place where the shooting was taking place when
I had gone for a week's adventure trip to Leh in 2002).
The war scenes are authentic; the ammunition,
artillery, vehicles and many of the soldiers seen in the film belong to the
Indian Army.
One thing is for sure; you definitely get
involved in the film. You swear in whispers as you see our soldiers ambushed
and killed and then punch the seat in victory and, perhaps, swear a bit louder
as our brave men retaliate by killing the enemy and driving them out.
The dialogues especially during the war scenes
are peppered with the choicest of abuses, which is quite understandable and
realistic. To quote a friend who was sitting next to me in the theatre: you
hurl the choicest abuses when you are watching a cricket match and this, after
all, is a real war, man!
Normally, when we come out of a movie theatre,
the first question we ask those who are with us is whether they enjoyed the
movie. As far as I am concerned, LOC Kargil is not meant to entertain the
viewer. I don't even know if you can say you liked the film because LOC Kargil
a gripping real-life tale that has been recreated on the big screen. It is
a medium through which you will -- for at least four hours, if not longer
-- remember the martyrs and soldiers of Kargil and pay them the tribute they
so richly deserve.
