Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl Review

Saw this movie on Independence Day along with my sister. We, as women, are constantly battling sexism in our professional lives. You do not necessarily need to be a pilot to understand the gravity of the situation. Roughly after 20 years in which the film’s timeline is set, women are still trying to prove their mettle and that they are at par with their male counterparts. The biases are so subtle at times that men might not even realize that they are the cause of distress to someone else, and the film makes you conscious of that fact. But let me at first clarify that I will not be focusing on the factual correctness of the film as the film has been caught in myriads of controversies since its release. It is possible that the directors and the producers have taken certain creative liberties but my focus here is entirely on the content and ways the film has portrayed a woman in a man's world.

So, what does freedom mean to the women of the twenty-first century? Have we even attained Independence from the vices of society?

The film negotiates between the idea of gender equality (the notion that women should be treated like men) and gender equity (the belief that both men and women must be treated according to their respective needs). It was really painful to see the protagonist being discriminated by her male colleagues who believed that she is incompetent just because of her gender. 

What I absolutely admire about the film is the role of the father played by Pankaj Tripathi, who uplifts the spirits of Gunjan even when she has lost confidence in herself. The father acknowledges that the world can be extremely difficult for passionate women and tries to limit their independence by restricting them to domesticity. At one point, he even says that if she gives up, it will be the defeat of both her and her father.  I wish the film had given more emphasis on the relationship between Gunjan and her mother as well, as the mother is portrayed as a character who is reluctant to provide Gunjan with better opportunities for her future. She too has been the victim of the patriarchal mindset and it puzzles me why she would want the same thing for her daughter when Gunjan's father motivates her to pursue her dreams? Although, her mother undergoes a transition when she takes a dig at the family friend who complains about sending both their children in the service of the nation. The sly smile on the face of Gunjan’s father reveals his sense of pride at his wife’s remarks. One other crucial question is that if her father acknowledges the mother to be a victim of patriarchy, why doesn’t he support his wife to pursue her ambitions? At one point he admits that he tried to break her out of her shackles but the conditioning is so strong within women that it takes a lot of effort for them to reach out for that helping hand.

Another important character of the film is Gunjan's brother. He is part of a household where women are free to make decisions for themselves yet at times he can be seen discouraging women for attaining their desires. As a child, he was punished for passing sexist comments but even as an adult man he is not free of the patriarchal biases. The argument comes back to the nature v/s nurture debate. Despite having a father who was supportive he couldn't separate his ideologies from what he learns outside the boundaries of the four walls of his household. When he and Gunjan are posted at the same location during the Kargil War he tells her that he won't be there everywhere to protect her, completely negating the fact that a woman can save him too, or protect herself for that matter. His mindset changes towards the end once he observes Gunjan fearlessly battling on the field and helping her fellow colleagues. He recognizes that even if he is not around to protect her she will be there to protect him. The transition of his ideologies is a huge matter as it takes a lot of courage to admit to the fact that a woman can actually be the one looking after you.

Apart from these aspects one of the most significant moments of the film arises when Gunjan questions her father about her passion for flying a plane and her profession of serving the nation as part of the Indian Air Force. Gunjan is clearly perplexed about her decision and the father imparts very crucial advice on the interconnectedness of passion and profession. It can also be seen as a subtle jibe against all the social media patriots whose ideas on patriotism are limited to social media activism.

The film was a wonderful attempt despite its few technical faults. I would recommend watching it at least once.