According to the Indian army, 20 of its soldiers were killed by Chinese troops at a disputed border site in the Galwan area of Ladakh on June 15. A cloud of mystery continues to surround this border clash – the deadliest in decades between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Many were waiting eagerly to see how the Indian film industry, having displayed a penchant for hyper-nationalistic films in the past, would portray the incident on the big screens.
According to recent reports, the wait has finally come to an end as Bollywood star Ajay Devgn announced that his upcoming film would focus on ‘the sacrifice of 20 Indian army men who fought the Chinese army.'
The title of the film is yet to be decided.
Devgn, who made a name for himself in the industry for playing intense roles in acclaimed crime dramas, has not clarified yet what role he would play in the film. Will we see him in the Indian army uniform, guiding us through the fog of that tragic night? Only time would tell.
Social media users were quick to respond to the announcement; Devgn’s project, as expected, has sparked mixed feelings among his fans.
Many sardonically remarked that the climax of the film would most likely portray Devgn uninstalling 59 Chinese apps, given that the Indian government responded to the border clash by imposing a ban over 59 China-based apps, including TikTok, CamScanner, Shein, ShareIt.
Others were quick to share their sympathy for Akshay Kumar, another Bollywood star with patriotic films like Airlift, Rustom, Baby, Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty under his belt, for having missed the lifetime opportunity of making a film on the Galwan border cash.
Memes of Akshay Kumar breaking down in tears after hearing Devgn's announcement dominated Twitter in recent days.
However, a section of Bollywood fans condemned the news of Devgn’s upcoming film as a ‘shameful’ ploy to profit off of a national tragedy. They are calling out what they see as a Bollywood tactic to make light of the Indian army’s ‘sacrifice’ and the ‘people’s sentiments.’
Poster of Maidaan| InstagramMoreover, on June 4, Devgn shared the poster of another upcoming 2021 sports film titled ‘Maidaan’ on Instagram. It is clear that the Singham of Bollywood will have a busy schedule for quite some time.
Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, Maidaan stars Ajay Devgn playing the role of Syed Abdul Rahim known as the architect of modern Indian football. The film is based on the golden era of Indian football, described from 1952 to 1962, according to IMDB.
