Gunjan Saxena says ‘it will not be fair to name any individuals’ who gave her outsider treatment

Flt Lt Gunjan Saxena and her coursemate Flt Lt Sreevidya Rajan have butted head in the aftermath of Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’s release. But Gunjan hopes that the controversy doesn’t distract from the message that the film is trying to convey.

“It would be unfair to generalise everything. No two individuals were the same. But after some time in the Unit, I was able to mix well with other male officers…” Gunjan told Indian Express. “It will not be fair to name any individuals. But since no bias was at institutional level, it did not hamper my professional growth in any way.”

Sreevidya, who raised objections about the film’s alleged factual inaccuracies, had written in a Facebook post that while it took some time for her to acclimatise herself in the IAF, “we never faced any humiliating physical strength demonstrations as shown in the film. We were received with the usual preconceived notions from a few colleagues. However, there were enough officers who supported us.”

The film suggests that Gunjan was the first female pilot to have flown for the IAF in a combat zone, a claim that Sreevidya has contested. Gunjan responded to the allegations in an NDTV interview, and said, “From July 1999 till today, my name has featured in a number of headlines, in a number of articles, and in the Limca Book of Records, and in one of the promotion exams taken by the air force.”

Also read: Gunjan Saxena’s coursemate Sreevidya Rajan says ‘I was the first woman pilot to fly in Kargil’, slams ‘factually incorrect’ biopic

She told Indian Express that she hopes for the film to achieve what it set out to do, which is to inspire others. “I think the intention of the filmmakers was to inspire people to dream and chase their dreams. One must always believe in their dreams and work hard to achieve them, despite all odds…In the armed forces, nothing is a walk in the park. I had my share of struggles, like others have had theirs, and those hardships have made me what I am today,” she said.

Several people have raised objections about the events shown in the film, and its depiction of the IAF. Retired Wing Commander Namrita Chandi, in an open letter, had also accused the filmmakers of “peddling lies”. She wrote, “Sreevidya Rajan was the first lady pilot who flew to Kargil – not Gunjan. Though, I am certain that Srividya has no complaints about this credit being taken away from her.” The IAF in a complain to the CBFC, Netlix and Dharma Productions questioned its ‘undue negative portrayal’.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, directed by Sharan Sharma and starring Janhvi Kapoor, has received positive reviews. It was released on Netflix on August 12.

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