A special tribute for India’s young brave heart!
Indian armed forces are synonymous with unbridled stories of incredible valour and heroism. Not surprisingly, Bollywood film-makers have always taken inspirations from army men. In the latest instance, we have learnt that a film — tentatively titled, Arun — is set to be made on the life of late Arun Khetarpal, a second lieutenant of the Indian Army and a posthumous recipient of the Param Vir Chakra at 21. He attained martyrdom 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. But 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 with an extremely 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.
Although six months of prep will be needed before the film goes on the floors, makers feel they should start filming between AprilJune next year. “It’s too early to talk about the film’s release but such a movie should ideally release on Independence Day or Republic Day,” adds Vijan.