It comes as no surprise that Bollywood filmmakers — Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Bhusan Kumar — have announced a film on the tall claims made by Indian Air Force in February about a sham Balakot ‘airstrike’.
As per a news report in NDTV, the film is a “story that celebrates the accomplishments” of the Indian Air Force, the movie will be helmed by Kedarnath director Abhishek Kapoor, who will be writing the script as well.
A story that celebrates the accomplishments of The Indian Air Force??#2019BalakotStrike @PMOIndia @DefenceMinIndia @IAF_MCC #SanjayLeelaBhansali @itsBhushanKumar @AbhisheKapoor #MahaveerJain, @PragyaKapoor_ @Tseries @gitspictures @SundialEnt @prerna982 pic.twitter.com/A5Oh8xpMyB
— BhansaliProductions (@bhansali_produc) December 13, 2019
Soon after the announcement DG ISPR Asif Ghafoor shared his thoughts on Twitter and described the Indian filmmakers attempt as a ‘dream that could only be fulfilled through Bollywood.”
“With due respect to WC Abhinandan as a soldier, yes the dream could only be fulfilled through Bollywood. Denial of sham strike on 26 Feb and wreckage of 2 IAF jets shot by PAF on 27 Feb will haunt you despite that. Film on Balakot airstrike and Abhinandan,” he wrote.
With due respect to WC Abhinandan as a soldier, yes the dream could only be fulfilled through Bollywood. Denial of sham strike on 26 Feb and wreckage of 2 IAF jets shot by PAF on 27 Feb will haunt you despite that.
Film on Balakot airstrike and Abhinandan https://t.co/rsZtgNdenD
— Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) December 13, 2019
This is not the only film announced on the subject. Earlier Vivik Oberoi also announced a film on IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, Balakot – The True Story.
Following the Pulwama incident in which a convoy of Indian soldiers lost their lives, Indian air crafts crossed the de facto border in the disputed region of Kashmir on February 26 and dropped bombs in the vicinity of the town of Balakot in Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. However, India called it a preemptive strike directed against a terrorist training camp, causing deaths of a “large number of terrorists”.
The following day, February 27, in a tit-for-tat airstrike, Pakistan retaliated, causing an Indian warplane to be shot down and its pilot (Abhinandan Varthaman) to be taken prisoner by the Pakistan military before being returned on March 1.
