Genre: Biographical Film
Duration: 112 minutes
Gunjan Saxena is an amazing film about a woman with determination and drive to follow her dream and she proves the world wrong when she flies in the Kargil war.
The film starts with a young Gunjan who is on board a flight with her older brother, the air hostess takes her to visit the cockpit and from that moment onwards Gunjan is mesmerised.
Her father encourages her dream of wanting to be a pilot and says it makes no difference whether the person flying the plane is a man or a woman. This stays with Gunjan and as she grows up and when she sees an advert for a pilot role she broaches the subject with her parents, her mum and brother are completely against the idea of her leaving her studies to become a pilot.
Later her dad shows her an advert for female fighter pilots and after much debating she applies. Gunjan flourishes in her training and is sent to an all-male camp where she is faced with some harsh truths about being a female fighter pilot. She reaches her breaking point and just when she is about to leave she is sent to the Kargil area as the country is at war and are in need of pilots.
Her brother is stationed in the same camp and he is finding it hard seeing his sister in a war-torn area. When the media get wind of the fact that a female fighter pilot is at base, her commanding officer decides to send her home but a troupe of soldiers are attacked and wounded and they need rescuing. Gunjan being the only option goes on her mission. Not only does she succeed but she is hailed a hero and finally gets the recognition she deserves.
'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' is a film about will power and following your dreams. It will make you angry to see how Gunjan is treated and how narrow minded the men in her world can be but at the same time you will feel like you have won the battle when Gunjan achieves what she has set out to do.
The film seems like it has a heavy hearted subject, however, it shows the beautiful relationship between Gunjan and her father and the love her brother has for her. It shows a family full of patriarchs where her mother has to accept that both her kids are in a war zone and the whole country is relying on them.
