Wikipedia

Shershaah

Shershaah (transl. Lion-king) is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language biographical war film based on the life of Vikram Batra, killed in action in the Kargil War, directed by Vishnuvardhan in his Hindi film debut and written by Sandeep Shrivastava. The film was produced by Dharma Productions and Kaash Entertainment, with Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Shabbir Boxwala, Ajay Shah and Himanshu Gandhi serving as producers. Sidharth Malhotra stars in a dual role as Vikram Batra and his twin brother Vishal, with Kiara Advani as his girlfriend Dimple Cheema.[2]

Shershaah
Official release poster
Directed byVishnuvardhan
Written bySandeep Shrivastava
Produced byHiroo Yash Johar
Karan Johar
Apoorva Mehta
Shabbir Boxwala
Ajay Shah
Himanshu Gandhi
Starring
CinematographyKamaljeet Negi
Edited byA. Sreekar Prasad
Music byScore:
John Stewart Eduri
Songs:
Tanishk Bagchi
B Praak
Jasleen Royal
Javed–Mohsin
Vikram Montrose
Production
companies
Dharma Productions
Kaash Entertainment
Distributed byAmazon Prime Video
Release date
  • 12 August 2021 (2021-08-12)[1]
Running time
135 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Announced in May 2019, principal photography began in the same month and concluded in January 2020. Initially slated to be released on 3 July 2020, the film was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4] The film then premiered on 12 August 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.[1]

Shershaah received positive reviews from both the critics and audience, alike. The performances (especially Malhotra's and Advani's), direction, music, cinematography, action sequences, editing, and visual effects received high critical acclaim. However, the writing received some criticism.[5][6] On 31 August 2021, Amazon stated that Shershaah had become the most watched Indian film on the platform in India.[7][8]

Shershaah led the 67th Filmfare Awards with 19 nominations, including Best Actor (Malhotra) and Best Actress (Advani), and won 7 awards including Best Film, Best Director (Vishnuvardhan), Best Music Director (Tanishk Bagchi, B Praak, Jasleen Royal, Javed-Mohsin and Vikram Montrose), Best Male Playback Singer (Praak for "Mann Bharrya") and Best Female Playback Singer (Asees Kaur for "Raatan Lambiyaan").[9] At the 69th National Film Awards, the film won the Special Jury Award (Feature Film) (Vishnuvardhan and Johar).[10]

Plot

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Vishal Batra delivers a Ted Talk on his brother Vikram narrating the story of his life.

The young Vikram is playing cricket when he gets into a fight with elder teenage kids over a ball, revealing the fearless nature he later became known for. Vikram, watching the TV series Param Vir Chakra used to talk about his wish to join the Indian Army. His desire to join the army increases intensely as he grows up.

In his college days, Vikram, studying English as his major subject, wanted to join the Indian Navy or the Indian Army. He was selected for the Merchant Navy which made his girlfriend Dimple happy yet confused about his career. Vikram and Dimple wanted to get married, however, Dimple's father refuses to accept Vikram because they belong to different castes. Meanwhile, Vikram realised that he was not meant for the Merchant Navy but for the Army. He cracks CDS (Combined Defence Services) after completing his master's degree and joins the Indian Army. Vikram was commissioned as a Lieutenant of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and posted in Sopore of Jammu and Kashmir. He develops cordial relations with both his men and locals and takes part in counter-insurgency operations. On one such operation, he defies his CO Lt. Sanjeev "Jimmy" Jamwal but neutralises the perpetrators and saves Jimmy's life. Jimmy reprimands his approach but gets close to him later.

The Delta Company, of which Vikram is also a part as lieutenant, catches an insurgent group's henchman. In retaliation, the leader Haider ambushes Delta Company by luring them with intel of a weapons cache. Vikram's friend Naib Subedar Bansi Lal is among those killed. Traumatised and vengeful, he tracks down Haider and obtains authorisation from the unit's CO, Lt. Col. Y. K. Joshi for an operation. Delta Company led by Vikram raids Haider's house, killing him. Subsequently, he prepares to go on leave as unbeknownst to him the Kargil War nears.

In May 1999 at Rawalpindi, Pakistan, the Pakistani Army chief began an offensive move to capture Kashmir and sends troops to capture Kargil. As news about a potential war gains traction, Vikram decides to cut short his vacation and return. He makes promise to his friend Sunny "I'll either come back after raising the Indian flag in victory or return wrapped in it. But I'll come for sure."

The unit is moved to the Ghumri Army Base, as a reserve force, along with other regiments to acclimatise and prepare. The base comes under artillery fire that results in multiple casualties, including Vikram's senior, Major Ajay Singh Jasrotia. Three weeks into the war, 13 JAK RIF is moved to active-duty to relieve 2nd Rajputana Rifles (2 RAJ RIF) and tasked with recapturing Point 5140 at 17,000 feet. Vikram adopts the codename Shershaah and victory signal Yeh Dil Maange More, for radio communication. Jimmy and Vikram lead their companies and recapture Point 5140 without casualties, garnering praise in the army and public. During the war, Vikram gets promoted to the rank of Captain.

Following their impressive victory, the Army Command tasks 13 JAK RIF with capturing Point 4875 which overlooks National Highway 1 and would figuratively end the war. They begin the assault on Point 4875 the next day, but take heavy casualties due to rough terrain and multiple enemy bunkers. Eventually, they destroy the four bunkers they are aware of. Unaware of a fifth camouflaged bunker, they take heavy fire. Vikram tasks Rifleman Yash Paul to use a Pakistani RPG-7 at the bunker. A sniper however hits him before he can fire. Vikram runs across open ground to rescue him and does so successfully but is hit multiple times by both sniper and AK-47 rounds. As he collapses, he watches Subedar Raghunath Singh take command and charge at the final bunker. He dies from his injuries, watching the Indian Army raise the national flag. He is posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his actions on Point 4875.

The ending shows his funeral in Palampur Kangra and a distraught Dimple. The real Vikram is also shown in the credits.

Cast

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Production

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Karan Johar confirmed in 2018 that he would be producing a biopic on the life of Captain Vikram Batra. The Batra family wanted Sidharth Malhotra to play Batra. He was eventually selected to portray the double role of Batra and his identical twin brother Vishal. Several actresses were in discussions to play Batra's fiancée, Dimple Cheema before Kiara Advani was cast. Malhotra started military training for the film in April 2019.[12] Before the official announcement of the film, it was speculated that the title will be "Mera Dil Maange More" but later was changed to "Shershaah".[citation needed]

The film was officially announced on 2 May 2019, with the title confirmed and shooting locations to be Chandigarh, Palampur, Kangra, Kargil, Ladakh and Kashmir Valley.[13] Principal photography commenced on 7 May 2019 and the film wrapped on 12 January 2020.[14] Patchwork shots were completed by 23 October 2020.[15]

Soundtrack

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Main article: Shershaah (soundtrack)

The songs featured in the film were composed by Tanishk Bagchi, B Praak, Jasleen Royal, Javed-Mohsin and Vikram Montrose with lyrics written by Manoj Muntashir, Rashmi Virag, Anvita Dutt, Jaani and Bagchi.[16] John Stewart Eduri composed the film score. The music album which was released by Sony Music India on 16 August 2021, was considered as the biggest soundtracks of 2021 and had crossed 1 billion streams in all music platforms, becoming the fastest Indian album to do so. The soundtrack remains the only work that does not feature the collaboration between Vishnuvardhan and Yuvan Shankar Raja, who had been his norm composer in all his previous films.[17]

"Raataan Lambiyan" and "Ranjha" featured on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200.[18] Songs topped the national and global charts, in all music and video platforms. The song "Mann Bharrya 2.0" was recreation of B Praak's single "Mann Bharrya" released in April 2017. It was recreated by the same team of original song with singer B Praak and composer-songwriter Jaani.

Release

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The film was scheduled to release theatrically on 3 July 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 20 February 2021, the new release date was announced as 2 July 2021, before being postponed again.[19] The film premiered on 12 August 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.[1] On 31 August 2021, Amazon stated that Shershaah had become the most watched Indian film on the platform.[20] The film was streamed by audiences in over 4,100 Indian cities and towns, and in 210 countries and territories.[21]

Reception

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Upon release, Shershaah received mostly positive reviews from the film critics, who praised Malhotra and Advani's performances and the action sequences but some criticised the writing of the film.[5][6] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 54% based on 13 reviews and an average rating of 5.2/10.[22]

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 calling Shershaah "power-packed" and wrote, "Shershaah salutes the valor, courage and bravery of Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra, Inspirational and emotional. A game changer for Sidharth Malhotra. Commanding act. Unmissable!. Director VishnuVardhan narrates the story of Shershaah with utmost competency. Screenwriting is absorbing for most parts. The war sequences are executed with flourish. The finale is sure to leave you moist-eyed".[23]

Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost gave the film 2.75 stars out 5 opining "Captain Vikram Batra biopic is gripping as an Army procedural", noting it as Malhotra's best performance since Kapoor and Sons, and that "VishnuVardhan could not have found a more suitable mainstream star to join him in memorialising one of India's favorite war heroes."[24] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film 2.5 stars by saying Malhotra "has what it takes to portray Batra with efficiency." He concluded "The cinematic firepower and flint take Shershaah much higher - and further - as a war drama".[25]

Anupama Chopra of Film Companion wrote, "The film's clunky structure doesn't allow it to accrue tension or exert a grip, but it comes to life in the second hour once the battle begins".[26] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 2 stars out of 5 saying that "the Sidharth Malhotra film has neither the necessary drama inherent in a cracking war film, nor does it raise patriotic goosebumps".[27] Writing for Hindustan Times, Rohan Nahaar praised the screenplay but criticised the direction stating that the "smartly choreographed action, a reverent tone, and Sidharth Malhotra's sincere performance can't make up for Vishnuvardhan's uneven direction".[28]

Accolades

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Award[a] Date of ceremony[b] Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Filmfare Awards 30 August 2022 Best Film Shershaah Won [29]
[9]
Best Director Vishnuvardhan Won
Best Screenplay Sandeep Shrivastava Nominated
Best Dialogue Nominated
Best Actor Sidharth Malhotra Nominated
Best Actress Kiara Advani Nominated
Best Music Director Tanishk Bagchi, Jasleen Royal, Javed-Mohsin, B Praak, Jaani Won
Best Lyricist Jaani – (for song "Mann Bharrya 2.0") Nominated
Tanishk Bagchi – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Nominated
Best Male Playback Singer B Praak – (for song "Mann Bharrya") Won
Jubin Nautiyal – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Nominated
Best Female Playback Singer Asees Kaur – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Won
Best Cinematography Kamaljeet Negi Nominated
Best Editing A. Sreekar Prasad Won
Best Costume Design Eka Lakhani Nominated
Best Background Score John Stuart Eduri Nominated
Best Art Direction Amit Ray & Shubrata Chakraborty Nominated
Best Action Stefan Richter & Sunil Rodrigues Won
Best Special Effects Red Chillies VFX Nominated
International Indian Film Academy Awards 3–4 June 2022 Best Film Shershaah Won [30]
[31]
[32]
Best Director Vishnuvardhan Won
Best Story (Original) Sandeep Shrivastava Nominated
Best Screenplay Won
Best Actor Sidharth Malhotra Nominated
Best Actress Kiara Advani Nominated
Best Music Director[c] Tanishk Bagchi, Jasleen Royal, Javed-Mohsin, B Praak, Jaani Won
Best Lyricist Tanishk Bagchi – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Nominated
B Praak, Jaani – (for song "Mann Bharrya 2.0") Nominated
Best Male Playback Singer Jubin Nautiyal – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Won
B Praak – (for song "Mann Bharrya") Nominated
Best Female Playback Singer Asees Kaur – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Won
Jasleen Royal – (for song "Ranjha") Nominated
Mirchi Music Awards 19 March 2022 Album of The Year Shershaah Won [33]
[34]
Listeners' Choice Album of the Year Nominated
Music Composer of The Year Tanishk Bagchi – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Won
Jasleen Royal – (for song "Ranjha") Nominated
Lyricist of The Year Tanishk Bagchi – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Won
Jaani – (for song "Mann Bharrya 2.0") Nominated
Anvita Dutt – (for song "Ranjha") Nominated
Male Vocalist of The Year Jubin Nautiyal – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Nominated
Female Vocalist of The Year Asees Kaur – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Nominated
Song of The Year "Raataan Lambiyan" Won
"Ranjha" Nominated
"Mann Bharryaa 2.0" Nominated
Listeners' Choice Song of the Year "Raataan Lambiyan" Nominated
"Ranjha" Nominated
"Mann Bharryaa 2.0" Nominated
Best Song Producer – Programming & Arranging Tanishk Bagchi – (for song "Raatan Lambiyan") Nominated
National Film Awards 24 August 2023 Special Jury Award (Feature Film) Producer: Karan Johar
Director: Vishnuvardhan 		Won [10]

Historical accuracy

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The talk Vishal Batra gives in the beginning of the film resembles the TEDx talk he gave in 2017 (evident from the same title and similar clothes.)[35]

The film depicts Vikram Batra and Dimple Cheema getting married, while she is unaware. In an interview with The Quint in 2016, Cheema revealed that, "while doing the parikrama of the Nishan Sahib, he was walking behind me. On completing the parikrama, he said 'Congratulations, Mrs. Batra'. I swirled around to see him holding one end of my dupatta." In Sikhism, completion of four rounds around the Nishan Sahib is considered a marriage ritual. The depiction of Batra filling Cheema's hair parting with his blood (a Hindu marriage ritual) was also confirmed by her in the same interview.[36]

The film shows Batra telling his friend, "I'll either come back after raising the Indian flag in victory or return wrapped in it. But I'll come for sure." Although, his twin, Vishal Batra confirmed Batra saying the words to "a friend",[37][38] it has been disputed as to who he actually said those words to.[39]

The movie portrays a Pakistani troop threatening Batra over the radio. Batra himself narrated this himself in his famous interview with Barkha Dutt recalling, "Oh Shershaah, you've come. Don't try to come up, otherwise you'll have a tough time... and that was the time they gave us a challenge and my guys they... they went wild."[40][41] The film also shows Pakistani troops asking the Indians to give them Madhuri Dixit. This has been previously confirmed by others who served in the unit.[37][38][42]

In the aftermath of capture of 5140, Batra is shown to use a journalist's satellite phone to call Cheema. In reality, he had borrowed a satellite phone but had called his father instead. His incomplete message, "Daddy, I've captured", was initially misinterpreted as a message of his capture.[43]

While climbing 4875, Batra is shown to charge at a bunker and kill three enemy troops alone in hand-to-hand combat. However, in reality, he had killed five enemy troops and sustained multiple injuries while doing so.[44][45][46][47][48]

Unlike the film, Batra died instantly after being hit by the sniper and did not live to see his men capture the point.[44][48]

Notes

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  1. ^ Awards, festivals and organizations are in alphabetical order.
  2. ^ Date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
  3. ^ Shared with A. R. Rahman for Atrangi Re.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani starrer Shershaah to release on August 12 on Amazon Prime Video". Bollywood Hungama. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Vikram Batra biopic, tentatively titled Shershah, to go on floors this summer". Bollywood Hungama. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Shershaah First Look: Sidharth Malhotra is Captain Vikram Batra in intriguing posters, film to release on July 3, 2020". Bollywood Hungama. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Shershaah: On Birthday, Sidharth Malhotra Shares First Look Posters Of The Vikram Batra Biopic". NDTV. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Shershaah Review: Sidharth Malhotra's War Film Gets Mixed Reactions From Critics, Many Says 'Yeh Dil Maange More'". Yahoo! News. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Shershaah Movie Review - Critics". www.addatoday.com. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  7. ^ Jha, Lata (31 August 2021). "'Shershaah' is most-watched film on Amazon Prime Video in India". mint.
  8. ^ "Audience's love to 'Shershaah' fills me with pride, says Karan Johar". ANI News. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Winners of the Wolf777news Filmfare Awards 2022". Filmfare. The Times Group. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  10. ^ a b ""Very honoured, very humbled": Karan Johar as 'Shershaah' wins National Film Award". The Print. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Kashmir's Bollywood actor Mir Sarwar in Laxmi Bomb with Akshay Kumar and Dharma Productions Shershaah". www.jkmonitor.org. 17 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Sidharth Malhotra begins training for Vikram Batra biopic". The Times of India. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Shershaah: Karan Johar announces Vikram Batra biopic with Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani". India Today. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Kiara Advani, Sidharth Malhotra Wrap up Shershaah Shoot". News18. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Sidharth Malhotra wraps up Shershaah, the biopic on Captain Vikram Batra". Bollywood Hungama. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Shershaah – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Jiosaavn. 16 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Karan Johar on Shershaah's soundtrack being the most-streamed album of the year title: "It makes me immensely happy that the songs have touched 1 billion audio streams"". RadioandMusic.com. 2 December 2021.
  18. ^ Tanushree Roy (1 September 2021). "Shershaah songs Ranjha, Raataan Lambiyan make it to Billboard Global Excl US charts". India Today. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  19. ^ "Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani's Shershaah to release on July 2". India Today. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Shershaah becomes Amazon Prime India's most watched movie, Sidharth Malhotra is 'overwhelmed with love". 30 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  21. ^ Jha, Lata (31 August 2021). "'Shershaah' is most-watched film on Amazon Prime Video in India". mint.
  22. ^ "SHERSHAAH (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  23. ^ Adarsh, Taran. "Tweet". Twitter. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Shershaah movie review: Captain Vikram Batra biopic is gripping as an Army procedural, dips outside conflict zones". Firstpost. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Shershaah Review: Sidharth Malhotra Has What It Takes But A War Hero Deserves A More Energetic Film". NDTV. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  26. ^ Chopra, Anupama (12 August 2021). "Shershaah, On Amazon Prime Video, Doesn't Have The Daring Of Its Subject". Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  27. ^ "Shershaah movie review: Sidharth Malhotra-starrer needed to soar, for yeh dil maange more". The Indian Express. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  28. ^ "Shershaah review: Sidharth Malhotra plays Vikram Batra with saintly sincerity in Amazon's simplistic war drama". Hindustan Times. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  29. ^ "Nominations for the 67th Wolf777news Filmfare Awards 2022". Filmfare. The Times Group. 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  30. ^ "The 22nd Nexa IIFA Awards". IIFA. International Indian Film Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  31. ^ "IIFA 2022 Nominations: Shershaah takes the lead with 12 Nominations, Ludo and 83 emerge as strong contenders; check out the complete list". Bollywood Hungama. Bollywood Hungama News Network. 1 April 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  32. ^ "Winners of IIFA Awards 2022: Vicky Kaushal and Kriti Sanon win top honours for Sardar Udham and Mimi". Bollywood Hungama. Bollywood Hungama News Network. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  33. ^ "The 14th Mirchi Music Awards 2022 Nominations". Mirchi Music Awards. Radio Mirchi. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  34. ^ "Sidharth Malhotra's Shershaah wins big at 14th Mirchi Music Awards, check out winners' list". ZoomTV Entertainment. The Times Group. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  35. ^ Magan, Srishti (13 August 2021). "This Tribute By Captain Vikram Batra's Twin Is The Most Inspiring Ted Talk You Will Ever Hear". www.scoopwhoop.com. ScoopWhoop. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  36. ^ Talwar, Sushant (9 September 2016). "'I Wish He Was Here': The Heartbreaking Love Story of Vikram Batra". TheQuint. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  37. ^ a b Vishal Batra (22 September 2017). My Brother, My Pride (Conference talk). Mangalore, Karnataka: TEDx.
  38. ^ a b Magan, Srishti (13 August 2021). "8 Powerful Dialogues From 'Shershaah' That Were Actually Spoken By Capt. Vikram Batra IRL". www.scoopwhoop.com. ScoopWhoop. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  39. ^ Joshi, Namrata (12 August 2021). "'Shershaah' review: Casualty of war". National Herald. National Herald (India). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  40. ^ Batra, Vikram (12 August 2021). "An Interview with Vikram Batra". NDTV (Interview). Interviewed by Barkha Dutt. Kargil: NDTV.
  41. ^ ""Yeh Dil Maange More": Kargil Hero Captain Vikram Batra's Story". ndtv.in. NDTV. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  42. ^ "'From Madhuri Dixit, with love': What real Shershaah Captain Vikram Batra told Pakistani soldiers". Hindustan Times. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  43. ^ Masih, Archana. "rediff.com: The soldier who became a legend". rediff.com. Rediff. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  44. ^ a b Rawat, Rachna Bisht (2014). The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories. Penguin Books India Private Limited. p. 247. ISBN 9780143422358.
  45. ^ Bammi, Y. M. (2002). Kargil 1999, impregnable conquered. Gorkha Publishers. p. 279. ISBN 9788175253520.
  46. ^ Sawant, Gaurav C. (2000). Dateline Kargil: A Correspondent's Nine-week Account from the Battlefront. Macmillan India. p. 187. ISBN 9780333934081.
  47. ^ Malik, V. P. (2006). Kargil from Surprise to Victory. HarperCollins Publishers India. p. 180. ISBN 9788172236359.
  48. ^ a b Cardozo, Ian (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli Books Private Limited. p. 124. ISBN 9789351940296.
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