The film, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, features Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Angad Bedi, and Vineet Kumar Singh in pivotal roles. The film celebrates Gunjan Saxena’s journey that earned her the name: The Kargil Girl.
In the film, Janhvi Kapoor is entrusted with the challenge to play the titular role. Janhvi steps up to the challenge and pleasantly surprises her critics and followers alike. Opting for a de-glam avatar for a film that entirely runs on her shoulder was definitely a risk; especially, when her contemporaries are positioning themselves as divas.
Through the film, there are hardly any moments when you see Janhvi. It is officer Gunjan that you see struggling through patriarchy, the belief that a girl must be protected, and that it’s a futile exercise to change the mindset of society. Is it a flawless performance? Maybe not, but it definitely is a better performance from someone who has done one commercial and one OTT film.
Sharan Sharma makes his directorial debut with Gunjan Saxena. Sharan has previously dealt an astute hand in films such as Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Aye Dil Hai Mushkil. In this film, he takes on the additional role of screenwriting, which gives him more grip on the storytelling.
Since the start of the story, he makes it clear that the war is between mindset and capabilities. To achieve her dream, Gunjan has to fight the stereotypical expectations of society and a protective brother. Her brother, Major Anshuman Saxena (Angad Bedi), despite being an army officer has a patriarchal mindset.
To her rescue comes her father (Pankaj Tripathi), who is determined to push Gunjan to achieve her dreams. Gunjan’s father and her Commanding Officer (Manav Vij) are the only two male characters in the film through which Sharan subtly states: not all men are patriarchal.
The camaraderie between Gunjan and her father is convincing and impactful. Ayesha Raza Mishra as Gunjan’s mother plays her part. Ayesha has imbibed the character well. She plays a mother who is worried about her daughter. But when she is informed her children are serving duty at the warzone, we see a glimpse of the unwavering patriotic side of her.
Angad Bedi as Major Anshuman Saxena has done justice to whatever offered in the film. Viineet Kumar leaves an impact, and Manav Vij has done an impressive job as a commanding officer.
The Director and screenwriter, Sharan, ensures that the length of the film doesn’t become a hindrance to storytelling. He also avoids embellishing the film with over-dramatic and poetic dialogue. He keeps it as real as the characters of the film. Although, the writer should have paid more attention to the fact that in Lucknow, brothers are not called Dada, and neither are Balloons called Fugga in the region! Gunjan Saxena also could have done better in the background score and music department.
Despite being a story that highlights grit, determination, and courage of Air Force officer Gunjan Saxena, the film came in the cross-fire of nepotism debate and meme-makers who believe all movies with star kids must be criticized. How these are itself the antithesis of the Sushant Singh Rajput movement is of course not a debate that is in the ambit of a film review. Maybe, for another time.
Gunjan Saxena is a film that must be appreciated and acknowledged for telling a story that will inspire us in many ways – to dream a dream, fight for it, and fight against all the odds
