The 25th anniversary of India’s victory in the Kargil war is being celebrated across the country. The martyrs are being remembered and the glorious stories of the braves who carried India’s victory chariot forward are being repeated.
The Kargil war was recorded in the memory of a large population of the country at a very young age. With the growth of cinema in the new century, the Kargil war is perhaps the most celebrated war on the big screen. On one hand, while cinema has made the most of the Kargil war, on the other hand, there are some actors in the Bollywood industry who have had a direct connection with this war. Let us tell you about the Kargil connection of these actors…
1. Anushka Sharma
Anushka Sharma’s father Colonel (retired) Ajay Sharma, one of the top actresses of Bollywood, was also a part of the Kargil war. Anushka has told that since 1982, her father has been a part of every major army operation. This includes Operation Blue Star and the Kargil War.
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Anushka Sharma with her father Ajay Sharma (Credits: Social Media)
Anushka had told that when the Kargil war was going on, she was too young to understand all this. And during the war, when she talked to her father, she used to talk to him about school and her boyfriends. However, she was also scared because her mother always kept the TV on for updates on the war.
2. Gul Panag
Gul Panag, who has appeared in ‘Dor’, ‘Rann’ and ‘Paatal Lok’, is the daughter of retired Lieutenant General Harcharanjit Singh Panag (H.S. Panag), who is awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. The Kargil war officially ended in July 1999, but the army still had a big task ahead. Gul Panag with her father H.S. Panag (Credit: Social Media)
In January 2000, as a Brigadier Commander, H.S. Panag led an operation in the Yaldor sector, the epicentre of the Kargil war, in which 35 Pakistani bunkers were destroyed and many Pakistani soldiers were killed on the LoC. This gave India full control of the Batalik sector. In 2000-2001, he led many such operations, including ‘Operation Kabaddi’, in which Pakistani army posts on the LoC were destroyed and India gained full control.
3. Vikramjit Kanwarpal
Actor Vikramjit Kanwarpal, who has appeared in many films and TV shows like ‘Page 3’, ‘Don’, ‘2 States’, retired from the rank of Major in 2002. He died in 2021 at the age of 52 due to Covid. After Vikramjit’s death, his childhood friend told E Times that he was also a part of the Kargil war. He joined Bollywood only after returning from the war. Vikramjeet Kanwarpal (Credits: Social Media)
Interestingly, Vikramjit, who was a Major in the Indian Army, played the role of a Pakistani Army officer Colonel Shakoor in the 2007 film ‘1971’.
4. Nana Patekar
Nana Patekar, one of the powerful actors of Bollywood, took a break from acting for some time during the Kargil war and joined the Light Infantry Regiment. In an interview given to ‘The Lallantop’, Nana Patekar said, ‘At that time Fernandes sahab was the Defense Minister. I wanted to go to war. I had completed the Commando course. I am a good shooter. I have played national matches. I have also received a medal.’ Nana Patekar in ‘Prahaar’ (Credits: Social Media)
Nana, who had trained with the Maratha Light Infantry for his film ‘Prahaar’, further said, ‘During the war, we called there. We said that we have to go to war. We were told that you are civilians. That is why you cannot go. But Fernandes sahab knew us. Then he asked us when we have to go. I said I have to go now. I went to the Kargil war. I became a member of the Quick Reaction Team. This is the least we can do for the country. Our biggest weapon is not Bofors or AK 47 but our soldiers.’
5. Rannvijay Singha
‘MTV Roadies’ fame host and actor Rannvijay Singha may have made a name for himself in the entertainment industry, but he always wanted to join the army. The reason is that his father Lieutenant General Iqbal Singh Singha has been a part of the Kargil war. Iqbal Singh, who was commanding a regiment in the war, was posted in the Rajouri-Poonch sector during the war. Rannvijay Singh Singha with his father Iqbal Singh Singha (Credits: Social Media)
Rannvijay had once told on social media that during the war he was studying in Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, Delhi. This time was very difficult for every army family. He had told that he and his classmates used to discuss the things going on in the war.