Janhvi Kapoor plays the title role of Gunjan Saxena in the Sharan Sharma directorial.Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is finally streaming on Netflix. The film is inspired by the real-life story of Gunjan Saxena, India’s first female Air Force officer to fly in a combat zone during the 1999 Kargil War. It stars Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Angad Bedi, Viineet Kumar, Manav Vij and Ayesha Raza Mishra among others. Directed by Sharan Sharma, the biopic has jointly been produced by Dharma Productions and Zee Studios. The film’s trailer gave a glimpse of the gender discrimination which Gunjan had to face during her early days at the Indian Air Force, her dedication to become a pilot and the support of her father. In a video released by Netflix recently, the real Gunjan Saxena shared that she did not understand why someone wanted to do a biopic on her life. “I wasn’t really convinced as to why someone would want to do a movie on my life. You have lived your life so you don’t find it exciting. It’s exciting only when someone else looks at it,” she said.
In a PTI interview, Janhvi said she personally felt very close to the story as it talks about hope. “It is an important story and it should reach people. I think it is a story of hope. This story, meeting Gunjan ma’am and spending time with her has reinstated my belief in myself. I hope it impacts people the way it impacted me,” she said. The actor added that the father-daughter relationship shown in the film is its real heart and her dynamic with Pankaj Tripathi translated on the screen. “I got a chance to learn from him, to talk to him about his work and movies. I was very excited. Gunjan ji looks up to her father and idolizes him and that’s how I look up to Pankaj ji. Even on the sets, I would watch him perform and seek his guidance. Basically, we had a similar relationship off camera.”
Talking about the instance when Janhvi’s real father Boney Kapoor called him after watching Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Pankaj told PTI, “Boney ji sent me a message late in the night. He was very emotional after watching the film. He wrote, ‘You are a better father to Janhvi than me’. It touched me.”
Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is a mixed bag. What’s nice is the restraint, and lack of fuss with which the film is done. Trumpets don’t blast our ears every time there’s a sortie, even though Gunjan does get her backlit ‘Top Gun’ moment, as she strides out to the field from the hangar, uniformed and ready to go. The difficulty of being a lone female amongst a bunch of young men, bristling under the pressure of having to salute a woman, or having to watch their tongue, is all there. But staying away from high-pitch shouldn’t come off as lack of drama: even as the film follows its required beats, with Gunjan struggling against the standard ‘fauji’ what-are-women-doing-here misogyny, training and finally being able to take off, fighting off the enemy and rescuing injured colleagues, it stays a tad too sedate. We see Gunjan flying into peril, but our hearts are never in our mouths. Read more
Angad Bedi wrote on his Twitter, "I saw your reaction while I sat next to you to watch it. The impact it had on you.. I silently knew we were on the right track. @NehaDhupia thank you for being my backbone.. I love you."
Neha shared a photo of husband Angad bedi from Gunjan Saxena biopic and wrote, "Lookin at you #anshumansaxena ? @angadbedi .. #gunjansaxena #thekargilgirl ?... I loved every bit of it ... congrats @janhvikapoor @pankajtripathi @angadbedi @karanjohar @apoorva1972 @sharansharma @vineet_ksofficial @manavvij ??????."
As a debutant filmmaker, Sharan Sharma believes he had the advantage of relying on his instincts and going by “only what felt right”. “The advantage of being a first-time filmmaker is that you don’t know too many things. You rely on your instincts. So whatever felt natural, we followed that. We did not design the tone. It came from Gunjan ma’am,” Sharma told PTI in a Zoom call. Read More
Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl actor Vineet Kumar Singh shared his look from the film and wrote, "It was a great experience working on this movie and now the journey is almost at an end. Over to you."
@SharzTweets posted, "It inspires you. It will motivates you to achieve things even it is dealt with hardships. Brave tale of a girl who fought Kargil. #JhanviKapoor was excellent and she emoted too gud. Writing, direction excels. Pour some love to thisHeart suit #GunjanSaxena #GunjanSaxenaTheKargilGirl."
Dr Nilesh Deore posted on his Twitter account, "Watching #kargilGirls wid my daughter.When #GunjanSaxena denied briefing. My 6 yrs old asked me why she is denied. I told that her teacher feels she is 'weak'. do u think so ?She said no way. Girls can do anything like boys ! Felt so inspired ! Our society has changed so much!"
Sharing a photo, Sanjay Kapoor wrote, "I am so glad that Shanaya started her journey in this beautiful world of movies as an assistant director with you @sharansharma , You are an Extremely talented director and A super human being too , loved #gunjansaxena , looking forward to your next ! #gunjansaxena streaming now on #netflix"
@Harneetsin tweeted, "I really really liked #GunjanSaxena. Loved the quietness & restraint. Loved how it makes the right noise without being OTT. So much ????? in Jahnvi Kapoor’s performance. Pankaj Tripathi aces the EveryGirl’s Dad role. Great job Sharan Sharma, Team Dharma & Team #KargilGirl. "
It is Sridevi's 57th birth anniversary. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl actor Janhvi Kapoor shared a photo with the caption, "I love you mumma."
In a candid chat with indianexpress.com, Pankaj Tripathi: some light on playing the progressive father Anup Saxena, working with Janhvi Kapoor and Boney Kapoor’s reaction after watching Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. He shared, "I saw the film in its rough cut. I wanted to watch it with the audience when it released. You become part of some stories thinking the audience will like it, while some you do because you like it even if you aren’t sure about the audience’s feedback. Gunjan Saxena was a story that I thought everyone would like. It’s a beautiful film written with simplicity and is also entertaining. I wish to see more fathers like Anup Saxena in our society. I have become a better human being after doing this role." Read more
@The_Lazy_Man shared, "An inspiring story of #GunjanSaxena Those who are boycotting this movie, keep aside it for a moment & celebrate the story of a brave girl who has dream to touch the sky with glory & her father’s support to achieve it. #GunjanSaxenaTheKargilGirl #BharatKiBeti."
@Vishnuanumula1 shared, "#GunjanSaxenaTheKargilGirl is thoroughly inspiring and emotionally resonating. Jhanvi did justice to her role. The father-daughter relationship seemed so real because of @TripathiiPankaj sir's natural acting. I agree with @Imangadbedi bhai on pointless hatred. Recommended watch."
Apurv Asrani shared via twitter, "You have every right to dislike or to not watch #GunjanSaxena. But to call Jahnvi Kapoor filthy names & to make fun of her performance in a film you haven't even seen, is downright cruel. You are witch-hunting an innocent 23 year old, who recently & tragically lost her mother."
The real Gunjan Saxena, in a video shared by Netflix, talked about the experience of flying and shared that once you are in the pilot’s seat, 'the machine will not know whether a man is flying it, or a woman is flying it.'
IAF has written a letter to the Censor Board objecting to its “undue negative” portrayal in the movie Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, said a senior official. "The IAF has written a letter to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) objecting to certain scenes in the movie Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl wherein it has been portrayed in undue negative light,” he shared. Read more
"#GunjanSaxena on @NetflixIndia is an inspiring story well told. It takes off in low height never really soaring in the sky inspite of potential. @TripathiiPankaj though is the magician which saves it from crashing making it a good 1 time watch," tweeted @proneetD.
"It’s a very important role in my career because the way I am or want to be as a father, the film represents that. ‘Mujhe gunda, mawali bana dete hai’ (I often get villainous roles). But playing Anup Saxena was close to what I am in real life with my daughter or aspire to be. I want the world to have more such fathers," Pankaj Tripathi told PTI in a Zoom interview. Read more
'Zameen- aasmaan ka farak sirf woh jaane jo aasmaan ko choone ki himmat dikhaye," wrote Pankaj Tripathi sharing a clip from Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl.
@neeljoshiii tweeted, "Speechless. Amazingly made movie, goosebumps throughout. You CAN NOT miss this movie. An amazing dialogue - Patriotism is not just by shouting Bharat mata ki jay, but by working sincerely in your field, for the country. Best work for 2020. #GunjanSaxena #GunjanSaxenaReview."
Janhvi Kapoor says she is ready to put in the hard work necessary to prove herself without getting bogged down by social media storms such as the insider-outsider debate raging over her new film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. The actor shared in an interview with PTI, "You can either get bogged down by it or try to see the silver lining even though it might be hard. What I have understood from this situation is that people won’t accept me unless I am extraordinary. Which is great because they should not settle for anything less than that." Read more
Janhvi Kapoor shared a still from Gunjan Saxena The Kargil Girl and wrote along, " watch asap!!! ??"
Hrithik Roshan tweeted, "Just watched #GunjanSaxena . What a film . Cried my eyes out and laughed out loud . Entire team take a bow ! OUTSTANDING. ?."
In an interview with PTI, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl actor Angad Bedi said, "It is sad. I feel there’s a certain section of people who have made a mockery out of this situation. Our energies need to come together, we are facing a pandemic, there are many big issues not just our country but the world is facing, unemployment, people dying on the street, because of the disease. We have lost such a gem of an actor. To have this backlash is wrong because tomorrow when we put ourselves in the same position, this is not how we are going to respond or react. It’s important to be sensitive to each other." Read more
"Tu sarre jahan se pyari , Mere Bharat ki beti !Awesome,emotional, inspiring, superb film #GunjanSaxena don’t miss it , well done the entire team and @netflix for this beauty . Jai Hind !, " shared Vindu Dara Singh.
Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl director Sharan Sharma shared on his Instagram account, "My cricketing heroes - Dhoni, Ganguly & Kohli have always said a captain is only all good as the team. The same goes in film making too. A film and a director can only be as good as the team. I have been very fortunate to get the chance to work with not only some of the most talented people in the business but also with some of the best people I have met in my life. Each person on this team is a filmmaker & a unique creative voice in their own right. The love, passion, positivity and energy each and every person has brought to the process has been critical. Each person on the team has taken complete ownership of the film. For the last 3 years we have all experienced the joy of getting the chance to make this film and now we look forward to sharing it with the rest of the world. As my cricket role model - Sachin Tendulkar wisely said - Now its the time for the bat to do the talking! Special thanks to my friends and family who watched the rough cut of the film and gave their valuable inputs."
Dr. Dhananjayan's tweet read, "#GunjanSaxena is a highly inspiring story. Big salute to #GunjanSaxena 's life & worth watching film. Director Sharan Sharma makes a good debut. #JhanviKapoor is apt & impressive in the role. Do check out in @NetflixIndia. Less than 2 hours of an emotionally moving story."
@Bollywoodprinc tweeted, "Kargil Girl Gunjan inspires so many girls out there to follow their dreams, it's a worthy watch."
The Lucknow-born Saxena, played by Janhvi Kapoor, is sky-struck from an early age, fighting for a window seat with her older brother (Bedi) during a flight, pulling away from the conventional route of good girls getting a degree-and-getting married, and being buoyed by a supportive father (Tripathi), in her determination to become a pilot. Janhvi Kapoor does get better as she goes along, but performance-wise, she is still clearly a work-in-progress. She was excellent in her small part in Ghost Stories, and going by that, I was expecting more.
Also read | Gunjan Saxena The Kargil Girl review: Janhvi Kapoor movie doesn’t soar
Sharing a poster of her film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Janhvi Kapoor wrote, "It'll always be an honour to wear this uniform and to be a part of something so special and close to my heart."
In a post, Janhvi Kapoor stated how she shares so much in common with Gunjan Saxena. Sharing an adorable picture of herself with Boney Kapoor, she mentioned, "Me and Gunjan Mam have a couple of things in common; we love dessert, we have long arms, and we have the best fathers in the whole world. My biggest cutest cheerleader. Love u sorry for troubling u #tbt to chubbier, fun-er days"
Angad Bedi will be seen playing Gunjan Saxena's brother in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. Talking about Angad's role, Neha Dhupia wrote, "Can’t wait for this and I could nt be more proud ... @angadbedi i am sure you have done a wonderful job in bringing #AnshumanSaxena from real life to reel life ... seeing you in uniform ( even if it’s on camera ?) makes my heart ? skip a beat. @janhvikapoor you my gorgeous one look so beautiful and strong and @pankajtripathi sir I look forward to everything you are a part of. Can’t wait for this to drop on @netflix_in soon"
Angad Bedi posted an adorable photo of himself with Janhvi Kapoor and wrote, "Gunjan Saxena, The Kargil Girl gave me an opportunity to portray the character of a brother for the first time on screen. I feel, “Anshuman Saxena”is a lot like how I have been to my sister. He is Gunjan’s mirror, being brutally honest and critical but being there ..every step of the way to protect her. Thank you for @janhvikapoor being the best on screen sister and @nehabedi2 for tolerating me till date."
A Janhvi Kapoor fan on Twitter praised the actor's work in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. "Seeing my jaanu receive the praise that she deserves for gunjan saxena makes me so so soft. to say i’m proud would be an understatement omggg," @satarangire said via Twitter.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh recommended the audience to watch Gunjan Saxena. "Big salute to #GunjanSaxena, her courageous story is an inspiration... Emotions high point... Stunning aerial photography... Director Sharan Sharma makes a confident debut... Recommended!" he tweeted.
@TajSHAIKH tweeted, "#GunjanSaxena is not d story of any ordinary person but it's d story of 1st female pilot in combat. only n 1st woman pilot in #kargilwar n awardee of #ShauryaChakra .Those who callng 2 boycott d film in d name of #Nepotism. Learn 2 respect a woman's achievement n contribution."
Former Indian Air Force officer Gunjan Saxena is satisfied with her biopic. In a post, she hailed the director Sharan Sharma and Janhvi Kapoor.
"More than three years back, I embarked on a journey into a totally new and unknown area for me. One in which "my story" had to be told to the world on a "screen". I started this journey with Sharan, not very sure how it would be possible, or if it was possible. My apprehensions were settled within my first few meetings with Sharan. His sensitivity, honesty and perceptiveness helped me be at ease. Then I met Janhvi.... I could connect with her simplicity and sincerity almost instantly. As the process of making the film started l met Nikhil, Manush, Anoushka, Aditya. Soon we had a closely knit group, working in perfect sync, to put together a film which had focus, human emotions and reality....overall a film to which people could connect," she wrote.
Trade analyst Sumit Kadel called Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl an "exhilarating saga." In a tweet, he wrote, "Exhilarating saga of a IAF woman pilot who not only fought a WAR on battlefield but also with people who thought women aren’t capable of being a fighter pilot. Film boasts TOP NOTCH emotional,inspirng & goosebump moments."