LOC Kargil is a 2003 Indian historicalwardrama film based on the Kargil War fought between India and Pakistan, produced and directed by J. P. Dutta under his J.P. Films Banner. The film features an ensemble cast of Bollywood stars and music composed by Aadesh Shrivastava and Anu Malik, with the former composing the score and the latter composing the songs. The film was recorded as average at the box office.
An historical period drama is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical period drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swashbucklers. A period piece may be set in a vague or general era such as the Middle Ages or a specific period such as the Roaring Twenties. A religious work can qualify as period drama but not as historical one.
War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that war films often end with them. Themes explored include combat, survival and escape, camaraderie between soldiers, sacrifice, the futility and inhumanity of battle, the effects of war on society, and the moral and human issues raised by war. War films are often categorized by their milieu, such as the Korean War; the most popular subject is the Second World War. The stories told may be fiction, historical drama, or biographical. Critics have noted similarities between the Western and the war film.
In film and television, drama is a genre of narrative fiction intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular subgenre, such as "police crime drama", "political drama", "legal drama", "historical period drama", "domestic drama", "teen drama" or "comedy-drama". These terms tend to indicate a particular setting or subject-matter, or else they qualify the otherwise serious tone of a drama with elements that encourage a broader range of moods.
Upon release, LOC received a mixed response critically and commercially. With a running time of 255 minutes, it is one of the longest Indian films ever made and fifth in terms of running time.[2][3] The film is based on the 1999, Operation Vijay and Battle of Tololing around the Line of Control.[4][5]
The Battle of Tololing was a pivotal battle in the Kargil War between India's armed forces and troops from the Northern Light Infantry who were aided by Pakistan-backed irregulars in 1999. The Tololing is a dominant position overlooking the Srinagar - Leh Highway and was a vital link. Much of the Indian Army losses had to do with the nature of the terrain as World War I style frontal charges had to be mounted to reclaim the peaks to dislodge the intruders. The three-week assault finally culminated with India taking control of the peak and changing the course of the war.
The term Line of Control (LoC) refers to the military control line between the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but serves as the de facto border. Originally known as the Cease-fire Line, it was redesignated as the "Line of Control" following the Simla Agreement, which was signed on 3 July 1972. The part of the former princely state that is under Indian control is known as the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani-controlled part is divided into Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan. The northernmost point of the Line of Control is known as NJ9842. The India–Pakistan border continues from the southernmost point on the LoC.
The film opens with a dramatic shot of an Indian soldier's wireless set chirping frantic commands from one of the army bases, calling a patrol to report in while the radio operator lies dead in the snow. After frantic attempts from battalions to locate their lost patrols, the Indian Army HQ in Jammu and Kashmir decides to deploy more troops. Lts. Saurabh Kalia and Amit Bharadhwaj are sent on reconnaissance patrols along the Line of Control (LoC). Lt. Kalia's patrol is wiped out while Lt. Bharadhwaj's patrol suffers heavy casualties but manages to return to their base. Pakistani forces begin shelling across the LoC, targeting National Highway 1A (NH-1A). The Indian Army decides to deploy more troops but suffer a rude shock when company and even battalion-sized patrols are beaten back by the Pakistani intruders who have occupied peaks around the Mushkoh Valley, Kargil, Dras, Kaksar and Batalik. After these terrible reverses, the decision is taken to go ahead with maximum mobilisation and move the army's best fighting units into the area of operations. However, orders from Delhi are that Indian soldiers are barred from crossing the LoC during their operations. Most mobilised battalions are completely unaware about the nature and size of the threat, thus the rationale behind maximum mobilisation is questioned by all the battalion commanders.
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and it is commanded by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four-star general. Two officers have been conferred with the rank of field marshal, a five-star rank, which is a ceremonial position of great honour. The Indian Army originated from the armies of the East India Company, which eventually became the British Indian Army, and the armies of the princely states, which finally became the national army after independence. The units and regiments of the Indian Army have diverse histories and have participated in a number of battles and campaigns across the world, earning many battle and theatre honours before and after Independence.
Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India as a state from 1954, constituting the southern and southeastern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India, Pakistan and China since the mid-20th century. The underlying region of this state were parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, whose western districts, now known as Azad Kashmir, and northern territories, now known as Gilgit-Baltistan, are administered by Pakistan. The Aksai Chin region in the east, bordering Tibet, has been under Chinese control since 1962.
Captain Saurabh Kalia (1976–1999) was an officer of the Indian Army who was killed during the Kargil War while being held as a prisoner of war by the Pakistan Army. He along with five other soldiers of his patrolling team were captured alive and kept in captivity where they were allegedly tortured, and then killed by Pakistan Army. Pakistan has, however, denied torturing any Indian army personnel.
The first unit deployed is the 1st battalion, 11 Gorkha Rifles (1/11 GR) who are specialists in high-altitude warfare. 1/11 GR's commanding officer is Col. Lalit Rai (Sudesh Berry), and the battalion has the charismatic and brave Lt. Manoj Pandey (Ajay Devgn) leading one of its platoons. Subsequently, the 18th battalion, The Grenadiers (18 Grenadiers), which was in the Kashmir Valley guarding against terrorist infiltration, are deployed in Kargil. The battalion is led by Col. Khushal Thakur (Raj Babbar), and among the officers and soldiers are men like Lt. Col. R. Vishwanathan (Mohnish Behl), Maj. Rajesh Adhikari (Karan Nath), Lt. Balwan Singh (Akshaye Khanna), Capt. Sachin Nimbalkar (Vineet Sharma), and Grens. Yogendra Singh Yadav (Ashutosh Rana and Manoj Bajpai). 18 Grenadiers are followed by the 17th battalion, Jat Regiment (17 Jat) led by Col. Umesh Singh Bawa (Kiran Kumar) with Capt. Anuj Nayyar (Saif Ali Khan) leading one of its units. 17 Jat is followed by the 13th battalion, Jammu & Kashmir Rifles (13 JAK Rif) commanded by Lt. Col. Y.K Joshi (Sanjay Dutt) with Capt. Vikram Batra (Abhishek Bachchan) leading one of its units. Other battalions are subsequently inducted into the theatre of conflict. The Indian Air Force launches photographic reconnaissance missions in order to identify the intruders.
Colonel Lalit Rai, VrC is a former Indian Army officer who was decorated for his actions during the Kargil War in 1999. As the commanding officer (CO) of the 1st battalion, 11 Gorkha Rifles, he was tasked with capturing the strategic heights of Khalubar in the Batalik sector during the Kargil War.
Sudesh Berry is an Indian television and film actor. Berry made his debut in 1988 with Khatron Ke Khiladi. He also appeared in Doordarshan's Mahabharat as Vichitravirya, the grandfather of Kauravas and Pandavas,
Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, PVC, was an Indian Army officer of the 1st battalion, 11 Gorkha Rifles who was posthumously awarded India's highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra, for his audacious courage and leadership during the Kargil War in 1999. He was killed during the attack on Jubar Top, Khalubar Hills in Batalik Sector, Kargil. His actions have led to him being referred to as the "Hero of Batalik".
The first assault is by the 1/11 GR advance platoon, led by Lt. Pandey, who first capture Yaldar village and link up with a beleaguered and severely mauled company from the 3rd battalion, Punjab Regiment (3 Punjab). JCOs from 3 Punjab reveal that earlier patrols from 3 Punjab and 16 Grenadiers had gone missing in the Kukarthang sector. Lt. Pandey's platoon follow the patrol paths and launch an attack on Kukarthang post, a very heavily defended enemy position supported by mortar units and artillery batteries on the Pakistani side of the LoC. The Gorkhas capture Kukarthang after taking 9 casualties. It is later revealed that the size of the infiltration was much larger than previously thought. Indian Army planners believe that approximately 3,000 members of the Pakistan Army's Northern Light Infantry are involved.
The Punjab Regiment is one of the oldest regiments still in service in the Indian Army, and is the most senior regional infantry regiment. It was formed from the 2nd Punjab Regiment of the British Indian Army in 1947 and has taken part in various battles and wars since, winning numerous honours for the same.
The Pakistani Army is the principal land warfare uniformed service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It came into its modern existence from the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of British India that resulted in the parliamentary act that established the independence of Pakistan from the United Kingdom on 14 August 1947. According to the estimation provided by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in 2017, the Pakistan Army has approximately 550,000 active duty personnel, supported by the Army Reserve and the National Guard. This effectively makes it the 6th largest army in world in terms of manpower. In Pakistan, the age of military enlistment is 17–23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18 according to its nation's constitution.
The Northern Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment in the Pakistan Army, based and currently headquartered in Gilgit, the capital of Gilgit–Baltistan. Along with many unified armed forces presence in the Northern Areas, the NLI has the primary ground operations responsibility of protecting the strategically important northern areas of Pakistan. The regiment draws its recruits from small tribes in mountainous areas and therefore they are less prone to altitude sickness and cold temperatures that characterize the mountain warfare.
The second battle is at the strategic Tololing mountain which sits astride National Highway 1D, the main supply route for the entire northern Kashmir sector including Siachen and Leh. 18 Grenadiers link up with a severely beaten 16 Grenadiers and get first hand knowledge of the situation. A company from 18 Grenadiers, led by Maj. Adhikari, attacks Tololing. The company is held up midway due to heavy fog; it waits for clear weather. Intense enemy shelling occurs while the men are resting, causing panic and casualties. They try to move up the mountain but are pushed down by heavy small arms fire from intruders who are well entrenched atop the feature. Subsequent attacks from the Indians are stifled by stiff resistance, and in the absence of artillery support, Maj. Adhikari and Lt. Col. Vishwanathan are killed. 18 Grenadiers make a total of 4 attempts to recapture Tololing but are repeatedly beaten back.
Leh is a town in Leh district in the Ladakh region of northern India. It was also the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former mansion of the royal family of Ladakh, built in the same style and about the same time as the Potala Palace in Tibet. Leh is at an altitude of 3,524 metres (11,562 ft), and is connected via National Highway 1 to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via the Leh-Manali Highway. In 2010, Leh was heavily damaged by the sudden floods caused by a cloud burst.
Meanwhile, a unit from 17 Jat led by Maj. Deepak Rampal (Sanjay Kapoor) capture a Pakistani mortar position. They subsequently liberate an important peak, but suffer casualties. Col. Bawa tasks them to capture Pt. 4850.
18 Grenadiers are relieved by the 2nd battalion, Rajputana Rifles (2 Raj Rif), commanded by Col. Ravindranath (Ashish Vidyarthi), which moves in with an artillery battery of 110mm field artillery and acclimatised troops. They launch a multi-pronged attack with artillery support which ends in success but at a heavy cost, with Capt. Vijayant Thapar (Amar Upadhyay), Maj. Padmapani Acharya (Nagarjuna Akkineni) and Maj. Vivek Gupta (Himanshu Malik) killed. All this happens while 13 JAK Rif stands by in case 2 Raj Rif fails. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force launches combat sorties (Operation Safed Sagar) and bombs enemy positions.
13 JAK Rif is blooded at Rocky Knob where they take the field after suffering heavy casualties. They follow it up with another victory at Point 5140 where Lt. Batra distinguishes himself by taking the south face of the peak without any casualties and is promoted to captain.
The decisive phase of the war has come. 18 Grenadiers are assigned to take Tiger Hill, 17 Jat to Three Pimple Complex feature, 1/11 GR to Khalubar Ridge and 13 JAK Rif to Bunker Complex. After a heavy artillery barrage 18 Grenadiers take Tiger Hill, spearheaded by a daring stealth attack by the elite Ghatak section, which includes both Grens. Yogendra Singh Yadav. However, only one member of the section, Gren. Yadav (Manoj Bajpai), survives (despite being shot several times) to link up with the rest of the battalion. 17 Jat suffers heavy casualties with Capt. Nayyar and several others killed and injured, but is able to secure Three Pimple Complex.
1/11 GR link up with 22 Grenadiers at the base of Khalubar Ridge after braving an intense creeping barrage of artillery. Lt. Pandey somehow keeps the sagging morale of the weary unit up till the battalion begins its attack. The plans go awry when Col. Rai, is injured by machine gun fire. Lt. Pandey volunteers to take out the bunkers which are holding up the attack. The machine guns are taken out, but Lt. Pandey and his platoon sergeant Hav. Bhim Bahadur (Puru Raajkumar) are killed.
The last battle is fought by 13 JAK Rif at Bunker Complex. The unit gets split up - Capt. Batra is sent to link up with Capt. Nagappa (Nagender Choudhary) who has captured one bunker and is surrounded by the enemy. Batra links up with Nagappa but is pinned down himself by heavy enemy fire. He single-handedly takes out two bunkers but is mortally wounded. 13 JAK Rif pursues the fleeing enemy to the LOC but Col. Y. K. Joshi stops due to orders not to cross it. After that the 18 Grenadiers, 8 Sikh and 1/11 Gorkha Rifles launch their final attack on Tiger Hill and they manage to capture it.17 Jat captures Three Pimple Complex. 13 J&K Rifles capture Point 4875. 1/11 GR capture Khalubar Ridge. Finally, India declares Operation Vijay on 14 July 1999 a success.
Just like J. P. Dutta's previous war movie Border, the Indian military provided technical and material assistance during the production and filming of LOC Kargil. Weapons depicted were those used in the Kargil war, like different variants of the INSAS rifle family as well as Swedish Bofors Haubits FH77 artillery guns and BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers. Indian Air Force planes like SEPECAT Jaguars in bombing roles and helicopters like Mil Mi-17s and HAL Cheetahs were shown in casualty evacuation roles. Pakistani artillery depicted were Indian field guns and 81mm mortars. SLRs stood in for the G3 rifles used by the Pakistan Army.
The music of this movie was composed by Anu Malik, with lyrics written by Javed Akhtar. The music was released by SAREGAMA label. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 15,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's eighth highest-selling.[6]
The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC). In India, the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector. The Indian Air Force's role in acting jointly with Ground troops during the War that was aimed at flushing out Regular and Irregular troops of the Pakistani Army from vacated Indian Positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control. was given the code name Operation Safed Sagar
The Rajputana Rifles is the oldest rifle regiment and one of the senior-most regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1921 as part of the British Indian Army, when six previously existing regiments were amalgamated to form six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles. In 1945 the numeral designation was dropped from the title and in 1947 the regiment was transferred to the newly independent Indian Army. Since independence, the regiment has been involved in a number of conflicts against Pakistan, as well as contributing to the Custodian Force (India) in Korea under the aegis of the United Nations in 1953-54 and to the UN Mission to the Congo in 1962. As a rifle regiment it uses a bugle horn as its insignia, the same as the British Light Division, but unlike its British counterparts, the Rajputana Rifles march at the same march pace used in the Indian Army as a whole.
11th Gorkha Rifles, abbreviated as "11 GR", is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising kiranti soldiers of Nepalese origin that was re-raised after independence. The regiment consists of primarily the Rais, Limbus and Sunuwar of eastern Nepal – mainly from Taplejung, Panchthar, Sankhuwasabha and Dhankuta districts. It also recruits from Indian Gorkhas and Bhutias from Darjeeling district, West Bengal and Sikkim. Though it is considered to be the youngest of the Gorkha regiments its lineage is as long as those of the 7th Gurkha Rifles and 10th Gurkha Rifles.
The Jat Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It is one of the longest serving and most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment has won 19 battle honours between 1839 and 1947 and post independence 5 battle honours, eight Mahavir Chakra, eight Kirti Chakra, 32 Shaurya Chakras, 39 Vir Chakras and 170 Sena Medals.
The Kumaon Regiment is one of the most decorated infantry regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars.
Captain Vikram Batra, PVC was an officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest and most prestigious award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir between India and Pakistan. He led one of the toughest operations in mountain warfare in Indian history. He was often referred to as ‘'Sher Shah'’ in the intercepted messages of the Pakistan Army.
Lakshya is a 2004 Indian romantic war-drama film directed by Farhan Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, starring Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Amitabh Bachchan in the lead roles. Hrithik Roshan plays the role of Lieutenant Karan Shergill, who develops from an aimless young man into an army officer. It is a coming-of-age story set against a fictionalized backdrop of the 1999 Kargil War.
The Garhwal Rifles is one of the most decorated infantry regiments of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1887 as the 39th (Garhwal) Regiment of the Bengal Army. It then became part of the British Indian Army, and after the Independence of India, it was incorporated into the Indian Army.
The 11th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. It formed part of Indian III Corps in the Malaya Command during the Battle of Malaya.
Major Rajesh Singh Adhikari, MVC, was an Indian Army officer who died during the Kargil War. He was posthumously awarded the second highest Indian military honour, the Maha Vir Chakra for bravery on the battlefield.
The Kargil War order of battle (KWORBAT), is a deposition and systematic combatant structure of the Indian Army troops and the unified Pakistan Armed Forces combat commands, active in the Kargil region in 1999, during the Kargil War. The Indian Army orbat is based on the publications provided by the Indian military authors, news media and official sources.
Digendra Kumar MVC, SM is a former member of the 2nd battalion of the Rajputana Rifles regiment of the Indian army. He was awarded the Mahavir Chakra on 15 August 1999, for his acts of bravery in the Kargil War. He retired from the army on 31 July 2005.
Operation Eraze is the codename of the assault and capture of Gurais in northern Kashmir by the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.
19th Battalion The Baloch Regiment is one of the oldest Light Anti-Tank Regiment of Pakistan Army. Initially raised as the Machine Gun Battalion of 10th Baluch Regiment in 1942, it was first designated as 53rd Regiment, Indian Armoured Corps and then re-designated as 17/10th Baluch. This unit has the unique honour of being the parent unit of Pakistan Army's special forces known as Special Service Group. Prominent officers including General Mirza Aslam Beg, General Pervez Musharraf have served in the unit and Maj Gen Abrar Hussain and Maj Gen Aboobaker Osman Mitha also known as AO Mitha have commanded this unit. Another famous officer was the brilliant Col. S.G. Mehdi, M.C, considered the 'Father of SSG" whose career was cut short when he refused to agree to a foolhardy scheme concocted by the Pakistan Army general Staff to launch para commandos in Indian Held Kashmir in 1965. The Operation called "Gibraltar" was the brainchild of Gen Akhter Malik, whose inordinate ambitions lead to this grand fiasco. Mehdi was sacked and the new commander was ordered to go ahead with the mission which was a total disaster.
Major Padmapani Acharya, MVC was an officer in the Indian Army. He was awarded the second highest Indian military honour, Maha Vir Chakra posthumously for his actions during the Kargil War on 28 June 1999.
Lieutenant General Yogesh Kumar Joshi, AVSM, VrC, SM, ADC is the 17th and the current Commander, XIV Corps of the Indian Army and assumed the post on 31 August 2018, This is General Joshi's fourth tenure dealing with Chinese troops. He assumed the post from Lt General Santosh Kumar Upadhya.
The 1916 Birthday Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, and were published in The London Gazette and in The Times on 3 June 1916.
Magod Basappa Ravindranath VrC was an Indian Army officer. He was awarded the Vir Chakra for his actions in the Kargil War in 1999.
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