Gunjan Saxena helmed by Sharan Sharma is an inspiring biopic on India's first female combat pilot who flew helicopter missions during the 1999 Kargil war. What sets this film different from other films of this genre is the treatment given by director and the writers. While most of the films based on this genre often indulge in jingoism, chest thumping with loud jarring music, this film relies on moments and that too in most subtle way. A good movie can be characterized by its fine moments or scenes that remain etched in your memory for a long time and this movie offers plenty of them. To describe a few ; the steely resolve to become a pilot comes to Gunjan's mind when she is fighting over window seat with her brother in a plane and an air-hostess takes her to the cockpit. As a kid, she gets besotted by cockpit of a commercial aircraft and aviator wearing pilots. She starts wearing aviators even during late evenings and her explanation for the same is that eyesight of pilot should be perfect and she is saving her eyes from harmful rays. Still a kid, when Gunjan says to her father that she wants to become a pilot, her brother jokingly says that he wants to be Kapil Dev. He further taunts her that at best she can become an air-hostess. It is pertinent to mention that the journey for Gunjan Saxena to become a pilot was not easy, rather it was full of obstacles. Right from the time of applying for the post of Indian Air Force pilot, to the training time she faces hurdles at every stage. But, her unflinching resolve to become a pilot keeps her floating even in the muddled waters. Yes, there comes a moment when she gets confused and talks with her father which i would rate as the best scene of the movie. Confused, Gunjan asks her father that Air Force needs cadets who are patriots but i just want to fly planes. The father asks,"Do you think Air Force needs people who only shout 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' ? They want cadets who are sincere towards their goal, have a passion for flying and will complete their training with sincerity. Once, you become a good pilot with hard work, you automatically become a patriot. This scene becomes very relevant in today's time as it juxtaposes with some of the views that have been forced by several people in context of being patriot. And, on top of it this dialogue is mouthed by a person who is himself serving in the army.
The movie has been penned down by Sharan Sharma along with Nikhil Mehrotra. The best part about the writing is that it never goes over the top. Most of the times we have seen biopics infused with fiction to make it look more commercial. But, in Gunjan, the writers have stuck to the basics and haven't exaggerated the plot which could have been very easy as its a war based movie. The film chronicles the journey of Gunjan who nurtures the dream of becoming a pilot since childhood and unflinching support from her father. It also showcases misogyny that she faces once she is inducted into Indian Air Force for being the only female cadet at Udhampur base. And, finally it highlights the feat of Gunjan being the only pilot to have flown during Kargil war. The film very cleverly steers away from the debate of difference between nationalism and patriotism which is a hot topic these days.
Janhvi Kapoor excels in the scenes where is conversing with her father or putting her best efforts to become a pilot. She has a childlike exuberance which gets reflected from her eyes. But, she falters when she dons the uniform as she lacks the body language and attitude reminiscent with being a pilot.
Pankaj Tripathi has portrayed the character of Gunjan's father with a great sense of maturity. He is the only one who stands with her in every situation. Watch out for him in the scene where he tells Gunjan to make parathas and explains about different spices to her.
Vineet Kumar Singh & Manav Vij as Gunjan's seniors, Angad Bedi as her brother have justified their parts.
The musical soundtrack of the movie has been composed by Amit Trivedi which is in tandem with the movie. The cinematographer of the movie is Manush Nandan who has done a swell job at capturing visuals. The film has been edited by Nitin Baid who never lets the momentum of the movie slip away with his fine editing skills. As a writer-director, Sharan Sharma has done a commendable job. He has brilliantly infused the story with two wars that Gunjan fights ; one at the border with Pakistan and the other at the base in form of gender discrimination. And to his credit, Sharan has shown both the wars with a touch of subtlety without going over the top.
Gunjan Saxena is now streaming at Netflix.
ROHIT SHARMA
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