Janhvi Kapoor shared this image. (courtesy janhvikapoor)

New Delhi:

Janhvi Kapoor, who plays the titular role in her upcoming film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, shared a post written by the real Gunjan Saxena, the first female Indian Airforce Pilot in a combat zone, on whom the biopic is based. The teaser video of the film was released on Instagram on Wednesday. The makers of the film also announced that Gunjan Saxena will not see a theatrical release, instead, it will directly go to an OTT platform, Netflix. On Wednesday, the former IAF pilot Gunjan Saxena shared the poster of the film on her Instagram profile and wrote an elaborate post for Janhvi Kapoor and the film’s director Sharan Sharma. She wrote, “Very rarely have old memories flashed in front of me in such a sweet manner as was experienced after watching my montage with voice over of Janhvi Kapoor. I guess it is the time for the culmination of an enriching journey which started with Sharan Sharma three years back. And what a journey it has been with Sharan.” Recounting her memories as an IAF pilot, Gunjan Saxena added, “None of the life journeys is a walk in park and mine was no different. But at times a one-track mind on goal does help. During my tenure in IAF, whatever little I could achieve was with the help of men and women in blue uniforms.” Read her post here:

Janhvi Kapoor shared a screenshot of Gunjan Saxena’s post on her Instagram profile and wrote, “It’s an honour to know you let alone have the privilege to be able to understand your journey and share it with the world. Hope we make you proud, Gunjan Mam.”

Take a look at the teaser video of Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl here. The film’s producer Karan Johar shared the teaser on Instagram and wrote, “Her inspirational journey made history. This is her story.”

The film is based on NDTV’s1999 report on India’s first women combat aviators. In 1999, Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena and Flight Lieutenant Srividya Rajan operated in the Kargil war zone, flying Cheetah helicopters. Towards the end of the war, NDTV’s Vishnu Som and camera person Manvendar Gautam flew with Flt Lt Saxena from Uddhampur airbase. A few years later, the film’s director Sharan Sharma got in touch with NDTV’s team for details. Slowly a relationship was established between Gunjan Saxena and Dharma productions and the film was developed. Janhvi was picked to play the role of Gunjan Saxena in the film. Take a look at NDTV’s report here:

Co-written by Sharan Sharma and Nikhil Mehrotra, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl also stars Angad Bedi, Pankaj Tripathi and Manav Vij.