A special tribute for India’s young brave heart!
Indian armed forces are synonymous with unbridled stories of incredible valour and heroism. Not surprisingly, film-makers have always taken inspirations from army men. In the latest instance, we have learnt that a film — tentatively titled, Arun — will be made on the life of late Arun Khetarpal, who was a second lieutenant of the Indian Army and a posthumous recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. He attained martyrdom at 21 during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
While Sriram Raghavan will be directing Arun, writer Ritesh Shah of Pink (2016) fame is busy penning the script of the film. “When I heard the story of Arun Khetarpal, it just blew my mind. He is the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. I regret the fact that I wasn’t aware of him and his bravery. What he did and the kind of life he lived was absolutely exemplary and unbelievable,” says the film’s producer, Dinesh Vijan.
Vijan, who also directed Raabta in 2015, feels Arun involves a “lot of passion since we all are moved by it”. “At this point, commerce and business aren’t on my mind at all,” he says. The script of the film is likely to be finalised in six weeks, and only then will makers start their hunt for the actor to play Khetarpal. “I feel whoever plays him should have the same passion and belief. We are doing loads of research right now. I feel it’s a huge responsibility to make a film with such an inspirational message. Sriram is one of the purest directors around, and Ritesh is as passionate, so I feel it’s the perfect team,” says Vijan.
Six months of prep will be needed before the film goes on the floors and makers feel they should start filming between AprilJune next year. “It’s too early to talk about its release but such a movie should ideally release on Independence Day or Republic Day,” adds Vijan.