When real soldiers inspired reel characters
Film-maker JP Dutta believes in making his projects look real, and his upcoming war drama, Paltan, is proof of that. The film covers the events of the 1967 Nathu La and Cho La clashes between India and China, and the makers have apparently made sure that everything looks authentic on screen.
The lead characters are all based on real-life soldiers who fought in 1967. Arjun Rampal plays the role of Col. Rai Singh, who was commanding a unit at the border outpost at Nathu La when the Chinese attacked.
Sonu Sood, on his part, has stepped into the shoes of Major Bishan Singh, who comes from a traditional Rajput family with an Army background. In April/May 1967, Singh was responsible for taking over the front line to hold Nathu La Pass, and he carried out detailed reconnaissance with the necessary personnel. At about 5am one morning, Chinese troops opened fire on Indian soldiers exposed in the open, causing casualties. Singh was supervising work at the proper Nathula Pass along with Capt Prithvi Singh Dagar.
The real Bishan Singh is all praises for the makers. “It felt great to watch the trailer of Paltan. JP Dutta has displayed his sharp intellect and skill of translating real-life battle sequences onto the screen beautifully. Such war movies inspire our nation’s youngsters to join the army and serve the nation. A lot of research has been done to bring to light the real facts, which marked a turning point in the history of the Indian Army after the debacle of 1962,” he says.
The film also features actors Harshvardhan Rane and Gurmeet Choudhary, whose characters are based on Major Harbhajan Singh and Captain Dagar, respectively.
Director JP Dutta says, “Most of my films are based on the Army and the real-life clashes that took place. Paltan came to me as a story I didn’t know, and I wondered why it had not been told till now. It was difficult to dramatise and make it as masaledaar as possible, but I preferred to forego that and stay as true to events as possible.”