Bollywood is to make a movie based on the “true story” of Indian air strikes on Pakistan this year, its producer said, the latest patriotic film to hit the silver screen.
The 26 February attack took place after a suicide bombing claimed by a militant group based in Pakistan killed 40 Indian troops on 14 February in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Pakistan then carried out its own raid over the de-facto border in Kashmir, before the two nuclear-armed countries stepped back from the brink of another conflict.
India said that in the raid, its aircraft successfully attacked a training camp at Balakot and killed “a very large number” of “terrorists”, but doubts have been raised about its efficacy.
At the time, Imran Khan, the Pakistani prime minister, said India’s claim that it had hit the Balakot camp was “a self-serving, reckless and fictitious claim”.
The new movie is set to be produced by Vivek Oberoi, who starred in a flattering biopic of prime minister Narendra Modi, the release of which was delayed so as not to interfere with this year’s election.
It will also tell the story of handlebar-moustached Abhinandan Varthaman, an Indian pilot who was shot down in the raid and then handed over by Pakistan, becoming a national hero.
“This film is a powerful tool to underline the achievements of brave officers like Wing Commander Abhinandan, who went behind the enemy lines and did what makes every Indian proud of them,” Oberoi was quoted as saying by Indian media.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over it.
Earlier this month India stripped its part of the region’s autonomy, sending tens of thousands of extra troops and imposing a lockdown and a communications blackout that on Friday entered its 19th day.
