Kargil Vijay Diwas 2023: 5 must-watch patriotic movies that paid homage to the armed forces

Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed every year on 26 July. It honours India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War which took place in 1999. The Kargil War was a significant armed conflict between India and Pakistan. It lasted for three long months. It marks one of the most significant occasions in Indian history as it’s a tribute to valiant soldiers who lost their lives while protecting the country.

As this year marks 24 years of Kargil Diwas, let’s have a look at some of the Bollywood movies that based on Kargil war. While some movies focused on the lives of individual soldiers, some highlighted the difficulties that went behind the victory.

Here are five Bollywood movies to watch on Kargil Diwas:

Shershaah

Shershaah chronicles the life of Param Vir Chakra awardee, Captain Vikram Batra, who merely at the age of 24 sacrificed his life. While Sidharth Malhotra delivered his best performance in the titular character, Kiara Advani moved us with her emotional portrayal of Dimple. The film beautifully depicted Vikram’s bravery and his heroic act that made him a “hero” among his troop.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl

Janhvi Kapoor’s 2020 film is based on Indian Air Force Pilot Gunjan Saxena whose unmatchable dedication is appreciated. Owing to her courage, Gunjan went on to become the first female to serve as an air force flyer during the Kargil War. Her bravery and dedication were widely appreciated.

Dhoop

Released in 2003, Dhoop paid an ode to Mahaveer Chakra Awardee Anuj Nayyar. He was honoured for his valour in combat during Kargil operations. Starring Revathi, Om Puri, Gul Panag, and Sanjay Suri among others in pivotal role, the film shed light on the harsh realities of corruption. It showed how Anuj’s parents faced bureaucratic hurdles to sort the license of petrol pump set up that was awarded to their son posthumously.

LoC Kargil

JP Dutta’s film highlighted the Indian Army’s successful Operation Vijay which was launched in May 1999. The film was touted to be the fifth longest Indian film with a runtime of over four hours. It had an ensemble cast of Saif Ali Khan, Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, and Manoj Bajpayee among others.

Lakshya

The Hrithik Roshan starrer is the story of an aimless boy who joins the Indian Army. In order to prove his mettle to his girlfriend, Karan matures into one of the promising soldiers and makes everyone proud with his stint. Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the film also features Preity Zinta, Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani in prominent roles. While the film failed to perform at the box office, over the years it managed to attain a cult status among the cinegoers.

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