Tigress in Air to Roar

Kargil Girl Gunjan Saxena Hitting OTT on 12th August 2020

We, Indians, really like two types of movies. One is that which is based on real-life heroes and the other that raises serious critical issues, present in our society and country. Now, we have one more story, based on a real-life hero, which throws light on some serious critical issues. (GUNJAN SAXENA) The ‘Kargil girl’ is an upcoming Indian language biographical film directed by Sharan Sharma. In this film, Janhvi Kapoor plays the lead role as the famed first Indian Air Force (IAF) female pilot in comabat Gunjan Saxena. Alongside are Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi. The film is set to be released on 12 AUG 2020 through Netflix.

If we imagine an Indian army soldier or an officer of the IAF, the first picture always comes in our mind is a robust male soldier as historically our society has never considered women as protectors of the country. So let us see how feministic Gunjan Saxena’s role in the film turns out to be.

Gunjan Saxena is best known as one among 26 woman combat aviators who entered the war zone of Kargil district in 1999. she was born into an army family. Her father –Lt. colonel Anup Saxena was in the Indian Army. Her brother Anshuman Saxena is still serving Army. Her husband was into IAF as a pilot. She had a daughter too. Her passion for flying made her land in IAF.

Women should not be denied the right given to men based on biological differences alone. This is exactly the critical issue that arises in
our society and our country. If we deny such opportunities to half of the population of the country, then how will the country progress? Everyone has to gradually change the male-centered mindset to make the nation strong. Let’s hope this film will vouch it up.

Priyanka Chowdhury, Student, AP College of Journalism, Hyderabad