Soldier-Cinema Confluence, Amitabh Bachchan’s show inspires a Billion hearts
By Mahendra Ved
New Delhi. India’s 79th Independence Day on August 15 became memorable with “The Independence Day special of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 17” featuring as guests, for the first time, three women military officers who had participated in the “Operation Sindoor” launched in retaliation to the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Decorated officers, Colonel Sophiya Qureshi from the Army, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh from the Indian Air Force, and Commander Prerna Deosthalee from the Indian Navy, appearing in uniform, connected with the viewers as they fielded “quiz with ease,” won Rs 2.5 million and donated the amount to the respective welfare bodies of their services.
The show was screened worldwide by Sony, one of the major OTT (over-the-top) channels. That megastar Amitabh Bachchan anchored it, and one of the world’s longest television series, popularly known by the acronym KBC, extended its reach as Bachchan, 81, enjoys a global following.
Speaking of the May 7-10 military operations, Col. Qureshi, who had been one of the spokespersons addressing the international media, highlighted how during the operations, key bases across the border were destroyed and how the Corps of Army Air Defence had successfully disabled 300 to 400 drones, both armed and unarmed, to check India’s weapons and defence capability were destroyed.
On the show, the trio spoke about their journeys, their experiences in uniform, and what service to the nation means to them.
It was not just the present-day soldiering and its relatively recent phenomenon of participation by women. And there was history to be recalled.
Col. Qureshi, the senior of the three, spoke of her family tradition of soldiering. “I belong to a family where everyone was in the Army. My great-grandmother’s ancestors were with Rani Lakshmi Bai…I have not heard lullabies. I have heard tales of bravery, and I have listened to talks that tell the meaning of courage,” she told an admiring Bachchan, to the applause of the audience present at the event, and those watching it live, including this writer. These were goosebumps for millions of viewers watching it in their homes globally.
Rani Lakshmi Bai refers to one of the most iconic figures of India’s first War of Independence from the British in 1857. With her minor son tied on her back as she rode a horse, she died fighting on the battlefield.
There was more money to be won, but the game ended just when the three lady officers were about to attempt the Rs 5 million question. The time-out buzzer went off.
The Show with the Women Officers participation was apparently organised by the Ministry of Defence, to highlight the increasing role women officers and Other Ranks play in the Army, Air Force and Navy. Amitabh Bachcha, 81, the most popular Indian actor, was the outstanding host with his commanding voice and magical smiles.
India’s Independence Day, August 15, was the appropriate occasion.
Notably, the training of the officers, men and women, incidentally is the same, with emphasis now on War and Technology, and Space and Real Time Connectivity between various assets on Land, Sea or Air.
Soldier-Cinema Confluence and Respect
There were questions on history as well. One was: “The ‘Arch of Remembrance’ in Leicester, England, was designed by the same person who also designed which of these Indian monuments?” The options were Victoria Memorial, Gateway of India, Fort St. George, and India Gate. With the help of the audience, they locked India Gate as their answer and won the amount.
The Arch of Remembrance in Leicester, England, is a war memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the same architect behind several iconic structures in India. Among his most famous works is the India Gate in New Delhi, which also serves as a war memorial dedicated to soldiers of the Indian Army who lost their lives in World War I.
Call it a public relations exercise if you must, but the audience response was tremendous and added a new dimension to India’s soldier-cinema confluence.
Unlike in some countries, the soldier-public relationship is benign. Independent India has never had military rule, and yet the citizens hold the men (and women) in awe and admiration. Children and Elders alike raise their hands in salute whenever a uniformed person is seen.
The soldier-cinema relationship has been old, even before India’s independence. Film personalities participated to boost the military and the public alike, amidst all conflicts. Late matinee idol Sunil Dutt led teams of film artists to entertain soldiers on the border, while charity shows were organised for the welfare of the soldiers’ families. Songs of those times reverberate as they are played and sung on Independence Day.
As the former Army Chief, General (rtd.) MM Naravane put it: “In India, the relationship between soldiers and cinema is multifaceted, encompassing both patriotic portrayals and occasional controversies. War films, in particular, often celebrate the Indian Army and its soldiers, while also reflecting societal values and influencing public perception of the armed forces.”
“The profession of arms and the cinema, though diverse in their very nature, have one thing in common, they both have contributed immensely to nation building,” he said in his speech at an event.
“We have grown up watching war movies like Vijeta and Hindustan ki Kasam, but for the younger generation I have to mention Border, Uri and more recently Sher Shah.”
He recalled the “ae mere watan ke logon”, an eternal song composed and sung in the wake of the 1962 conflict with China. It moved the entire nation then, and was included in the Beating the Retreat Ceremony this year on India’s grand Republic Day Parade held every January 26th.
War films have been part of the ethos that goes into nation-building: For one, “Uri: The Surgical Strike” on the 2017 attack in Kashmir brought the realities of the war zone to a wider audience, highlighting the sacrifices and challenges faced by soldiers.
Although much of the warfare in recent times has been confined to India’s North, the cinema made in the South has also made films like “Roja”, “Keerthi Chakra”, “Amaran”, and “Sita Ramam”. They have contributed significantly to honouring the Indian Army and IAF and Navy with the heroes showcasing stories of courage, sacrifice, and love.
