LOC: Kargil Dvd

LOC Kargil is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language historical war 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.

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. The film is based on the 1999, Operation Vijay and Battle of Tololing around the Line of Control.

Plot

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 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. Yogesh Kumar 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.

The first assault was carried out by the 1/11 GR advance platoon, led by Lt. Pandey, who first captured 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 followed the patrol paths and launched 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 captured 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 were involved.

The second battle was 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 linked up with the severely beaten 16 Grenadiers and got the 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.

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 110 mm 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 arrives. 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 Point 4875. 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 Raaj Kumar) 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.

Cast

Actor Role
Yashodhan Bal Lt. Gen.
Arvind Mehta Brig.
Sanjay Dutt Lt. Col. Yogesh Kumar Joshi, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Amit Behl Maj. Ajay Singh Jasrotia, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Armaan Kohli Maj. Vikas Vohra, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Sharad Kapoor Maj. S. Vijay Bhaskar, 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles
Milind Gunaji Maj. Rajesh Adhau, Army Medical Corps (attached to 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles as Regimental Medical Officer)
Abhishek Bachchan Capt. Vikram Batra, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Nagender Choudhary Capt. Nagappa, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Bikram Saluja Capt. Sanjeev Singh Jamwal, Army Service Corps (attached to 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles)
Deepraj Rana Sub. Raghunath Singh, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Sunil Shetty Rfn. Sanjay Kumar, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Sudesh Berry Col. Lalit Rai, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles
Mukesh Tiwari Maj. Amul Asthana, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles
Ajay Devgn Capt. Manoj Kumar Pandey, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles
Puru Raaj Kumar Hav. Bhim Bahadur, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles
Ashish Vidyarthi Col. Magod Basappa Ravindranath, 2 Rajputana Rifles
Nagarjuna Maj. Padmapani Acharya, 2 Rajputana Rifles
Himanshu Malik Maj. Vivek Gupta, 2 Rajputana Rifles
Deepak Jethi Maj. Mohit Saxena, 2 Rajputana Rifles
Amar Upadhyay Capt. Vijayant Thapar, 2 Rajputana Rifles
Avtar Gill Sub. Digendra Kumar, 2 Rajputana Rifles
Kiran Kumar Col. Umesh Singh Bawa, 17 Jat
Sanjay Kapoor Maj. Deepak Rampal, 17 Jat
Ayub Khan Maj. P.S. Janghu, 17 Jat
Saif Ali Khan Capt. Anuj Nayyar, 17 Jat
Rohit Roy Capt. Shashi Bhushan, 315 Field Regiment, Regiment of Artillery (attached to 17 Jat)
Raj Babbar Col. Khushal Thakur, 18 Grenadiers
Mohnish Bahl Lt. Col. Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan, 18 Grenadiers
Karan Nath Maj. Rajesh Singh Adhikari, 2 Mechanised Infantry (attached to 18 Grenadiers)
Vineet Sharma Capt. Sachin Annarao Nimbalkar, 18 Grenadiers
Devashish Capt. Joy Dasgupta, 18 Grenadiers
Akshaye Khanna Lt. Balwan Singh, 18 Grenadiers
Manoj Bajpayee Gren. Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers
Ashutosh Rana Gren. Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers
Shahzad Khan Nb. Sub. Zakir Hussain, 22 Grenadiers
Akbar Naqvi Maj. Ajeet Singh
Ashutosh Jha Intruder
Surendra Singh Intruder