Battling mediocrity: The landscape of war films in India

The realm of war films in India is seemingly trapped in the trenches of mediocrity. With twisted facts and exaggerated real-life situations, the world’s largest film-producing industry has a scarcity of films in this category that meet international standards.

The term “war film” conjures certain images in the mind, like commanders rallying their troops with fiery speeches leading them into certain death, the sight of gore, and the grit of grievously injured soldiers as they make the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the armed forces. And the perennially but suitably favourite topic — films around Pakistan, given that most battles India has fought were with its neighbouring nation.

Vicky Kaushal plays the role of Field Marshal Sam Maneskshaw in Meghana Gulzar’s ‘Sam Bahadur’.

But as a nation obsessed with its military, it is pertinent to note that Western films steal the show when it comes to the quality of war films. It is not a matter of patriotism but a nuanced observation by veterans, active personnel, and film critics.

Brigadier Pravin Joshi (retd), says, “There is unwanted dramatisation in combat films in India. The depiction must be real. Ranks, regiments, dresses, and demeanour must be authentic. The audience will like that better.”

“Songs, dances, and spouses may be kept aside,” he says.

On condition of anonymity, a serving Lt Colonel in the Indian Army told DH that while veterans often help in the production of war films, the perspective can still be biased as it is coming from just one or two persons. “Wars, and what led to them must be examined well in the films. The events should be viewed from broader lenses, as each individual in combat, even when serving together in a unit, may have different perceptions…”

“Indian war films often tend to focus just on the combat. Granted that warfare is central to the drama, but there is much more to explore about military diplomacy that is often missing in Indian films,” he added.

German director Edward Berger’s 2022 film All Quiet on the Western Front examines military dialogue and diplomacy between France and Germany in the Great War and illustrates how the resolution of a narrative need not be upbeat always.

The Kargil soldiers’ raw courage is well documented, and so are their vulnerabilities, and their philosophical side. But filmmakers failed to depict such nuanced aspects in at least four films based around the conflict — LoC Kargil (2003), Lakshya (2004), Gunjan Saxena — The Kargil Girl (2020) and Shershaah (2021). 

Janhvi Kapoor in ‘Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl’.

While classics like Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998) have fictional elements, they accurately portray the wars they are based on.

On the other hand, Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993), Roman Polanski’s The Pianist (2002), Sam Mendes’s Jarhead (2005), Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk (2017), Matthijs van Heijningen Jr’s 2020 film The Forgotten Battle and Ole Bornedal’s 2021 film The Shadow in My Eye are fairly accurate depictions of true events.

Bold films

A uniqueness of the aforementioned films is that despite being war films, they are subtly antithetical to armed conflict. Such tone is rare in Indian films.

It is also worth noting that films like Dunkirk and The Shadow in My Eye aren’t afraid of highlighting military failures and shortcomings. Contrarily, Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl was panned by both audiences and the Indian Air Force (IAF) for its subtle portrayal of the challenges faced by women in the Indian armed forces. The IAF had written to the Central Board of Film Certification complaining about its “undue negative portrayal” in the film.

Doubt in intent

The production of profit-driven war films is a major issue, says Abhishek Choudhary, a Mumbai-based film studies professor. His words hold water considering the rush among filmmakers to draw dibs on a title for a film based on the 2019 Balakot Air Strikes and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, Vir Chakra (now Group Captain), while he was still in Pakistan Army’s custody.

Varthaman was held captive for around 60 hours after his jet was shot down in the dogfight that followed the Air Strikes, but the swift pursuit to stake a claim on the film’s title shows the financial motivations behind films.

It’s noteworthy that the quick chase for the movie’s title happened just over a month after the release of Uri: The Surgical Strike in 2019, a highly successful film in the same genre. Such conduct draws into doubt the intentions and the film industry’s handling of such events, as well as the box office factors on story selection. Two films about the 2019 cross-border operations are under production.

Characters in spotlight

Indian cinema is notorious for its warped depictions of real-life personalities. Second Lieutenant Dharam Vir, a central character in J P Dutta’s cult classic Border (1997), dies a heroic death. But the soldier survived the war and rose through the ranks in real life to become a Colonel.

“It is vital to discuss military personalities and leaders, as inspiration is often found in the actions and guidance of those who came before us. Regimental and Paltan’s pride play a significant role in the military ethos, however, it is important to handle such topics with care,” a Lt Colonel said.

It remains to be seen how true the upcoming film Sam Bahadur is to one of India’s most talked-about soldiers, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw’s legacy. Vicky Kaushal plays the role of the Field Marshal and the film is directed by Meghana Gulzar.