Five Things That Prove 'Shershaah' Is The Biggest War Film In Bollywood

'Shershaah' is a good starting point for anyone who wants to learn about the Kargil war.

Sidharth Malhotra as Capt. Vikram Batra in Shershaah

Image - Amazon Prime Video

Shershaah narrates the story of a 24-year-old Captain Vikram Batra who died at the battlefields of the Kargil War and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. With Sidharth Malhotra essaying the titular role of the Kargil war hero, the movie is a rewarding watch as far as a war biopic is concerned. But Shershaah goes beyond simply dramatising war. Here is how it stands apart from other contemporary Bollywood war movies:

#1 A good starting point to learn about Kargil War

Shershaah is a result of five years of research and the movie is a good starting point for all generations born in a post-Kargil world and who want to learn about what happened in 1999. From featuring actual dialogues spoken by Captain Batra to re-creating his televised interview with NDTV, the movie does a fair job of re-telling war as it had happened.

Image -Amazon Prime Video

#2 Re-creating iconic war images and location shooting

While Shershaah is essentially a biopic on Captain Batra, it is also a snapshot of the highest-altitude war fought by any army in history.

There have been several attempts in the past to re-create images of the Kargil war. But Shershaah is the first movie shot in the region close to where the fighting actually took place. Thus, the scenes look authentic and, the movie gives us a sense of the difficult terrain and conditions in which the war was fought. The most striking image from the movie is perhaps when the base camp is under heavy bombardment from the enemy stationed at higher altitudes.

#3 Army’s job is not restricted to fighting but also collecting intel

Most war movies will be limited to our war heroes leading a battalion, commanding operations and out on night duty patrols. The screenplay for most movies usually includes ambush operations, fist fighting and grenades being thrown as soldiers charge into enemy bunkers.

Shershaah takes a step further in illustrating how the armed soldiers often build their own local sources to collect intel on terrorist operations. From playing vigilante to leading covert operations, the movie gives a sneak peek into how the Fauji boots operate on the ground.

#4 Building relations with the local community

Through Captain Vikram Batra’s story, the movie shows how our soldiers often try to mingle with the local communities.

It shows the other side to the armed officer’s stoicism and a disciplinarian personality. The movie beautifully captures the jovial spirit of our soldiers, their camaraderie with civilians and easy banter within army ranks.

#5 Nuanced take on patriotism

The movie maintains a neat distance from chest-thumping nationalism. There is a close-up of the Pakistani flag lying on the ground as Indian soldiers leap over it instead of stamping through it. Another scene where Captain Batra declares the mission’s success as a soldier respectfully takes down the Pakistani flag, folding it into a neat square, shows that patriotism is also about respecting another country’s national flag.

This movie is a rewarding watch for all generations born in a post-Kargil world.

Shershaah is streaming live on Amazon Prime Video.