Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is a biographical drama film directed by Sharan Sharma. And, it is written by Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma. The film is inspired by the life of Indian Air Force Pilot Gunjan Saxena, the first Indian female Air Force officer to fly in a combat zone during the 1999 Kargil War. The film is available to watch on Netflix.
The film sets in the early 90s and follows Gunjan (Janhavi Kapoor), a free-spirited girl, belonging to a middle-class defense family, who is following her dream to become a pilot. The film depicts the inspiring & struggling journey of Gunjan to fulfill her dreams by breaking all stereotypes. And, in this journey, her supportive and caring father (Pankaj Tripathi) becomes her guiding star.
The film is inspired by events based on the life of Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena but doesn’t give full justice to its title ‘The Kargil Girl’. Because, for me, the film is more of a compelling father-daughter story. The film has been created by taking many creative liberties and dramatized the events for cinematic expressions. And, too much dramatization loses the rawness and genuineness of the story. The portrayal of the titular character by Janhavi Kapoor is very average, and I was struggling to connect with her. Except for the lead character, I enjoyed all the other supporting cast. Ayesha Raza, Angad Bedi, Manav Vij, Vineet Kumar Singh everyone is authentic and believable. Especially, Pankaj Tripathi, his impactful presence can be felt every time he comes on screen. For him alone, the film is a decent watch. The film also introduces us to the Indian Air Force and their ways of work. Apart from a good story and performances by supporting cast, the film also tries to hit hard on the topic of gender discrimination and the prejudiced mindset of our society.
The Indian Air Force supports equality in the skies. Currently, 1625 women officers are serving in the Indian Air Force.
Verdict : The film is decent to watch if you can bypass the lead character. And, wish you all Happy 74th Indian Independence Day.
Rating : 3.3/5
Check the trailer here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtGIq9Xjnrw
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