“In times of war and not before, God and the soldier we adore.
But in times of peace and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted.”
– Rudyard Kipling
Bollywood’s old habit never dies!
I take the liberty to write it out, even though this is a topic close to Ajjamada family and the kin of Squadron Leader Ajjamada Bopayya Devayya. I respect their personal opinions on the movie.
Will focus on just two points from the movie’s several misrepresentations:
1. Proxy Identity
2. Soldier’s Code of Conduct
The movie script fiddled with history by changing the identity of soldiers who earned Gallantry awards posthumously and those who lived up to tell the tales.
Ajjamada Devayya’s name was changed to T. Krishna Vijaya.
What stopped the movie makers from using the name “Sqn Ldr Ajjamada Devayya”?.
If Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw can be Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in “Sam Bahadur” and Major Mukund Vaidyanathan can be Major Mukund Vaidyanathan in “Amaran” and find commercial success, what stopped the makers in “Sky Force”.
If the identity of the war hero had to be changed considering that Kodavas are a micro-minority, then the Sky Force team have done their homework for better viewership head count.
The team will not hesitate to script Dandi march in Uttar Pradesh, for their future remake of Gandhi.
We are in 2025 and India has evolved and grown up, beyond thinking that all south Indians are from One state. This stereotyping should be left behind in the 20th century.
The people of Coorg take immense pride in their soldiers from their home land, which has a high ratio of population to people in defence services. Including 2 Maha Vir Chakra, 13 Vir Chakra and 5 Shaurya Chakra. In fact the Indian Army has benefitted from the services of 2 Generals(COAS), 25(Lieutenant and Major Generals and equivalent of number of Brigadiers), 4(Air Marshals), 1(Rear Admiral), and hundreds of other Officers and thousands of Soldiers from Coorg.
The martyred soldiers do not deserve a proxy name and identity, for commercial gains.
We have to tell the stories of our heroes with their real names, facts and the inspiration with which they were parented to become a brave soldier. Otherwise, our next generation will forget our real heroes, because of whom we find freedom to forget them.
There were several soldiers from Coorg, who were part of military operations from World War I to Kargil War and in other peacetime operations, including my late father(Operation Riddle and Operation Cactus Lilly) and other relatives. If we do not stand up to recognize their selfless service, then history will get rewritten along with fake names and fake narratives.
My second point: Soldiers Code of Conduct.
From the little knowledge I have, my take:
A trained officer of a professional Air Force does not fly away with a Fighter Aircraft without approval to change the operation plan from his superiors. That was not a moment of situational leadership decision making, raising out of non-access to the line of command.
In the movie it is shown as Sqn Ldr Ajjamada Devayya was undisciplined and flew away without his superiors’ orders.
To make it worse, the makers of the movie made a mockery of the Group Captain and above ranks in the storyline, who were made to label the missing Sqn Ldr as a Madman.
Grow up Bollywood! Please stick to making Gadar-Ek Prem katha.
If the truth gets ignored, the misuse of our heroes and their patriotic deeds will go unchecked. A legal consultation is advised on story rights, documented changes for creative freedom and consent on final copy for release. This shall protect sanity and should have got the attention of the Central Board of Film Certification (censor board) of India.
Sqn. Ldr. Devayya’s daring act of valour would have gone unnoticed, but for the details shared by the Pakistani Flight Lieutenant.
It is a pity that Bollywood is portraying a distorted image of a War Hero.
I have spoken to senior retired Indian Army and Air Force officers who feel that this entire issue is rather murky.
On one hand the family can clarify if they wish to, that they have given permission, written or otherwise, for this biopic. However, the fact remains that mediocre biopics can over simplify the rigors and protocols that the armed forces(AF) follow in all their operations. It is also understood that normally the Indian Censor Board requires the producers/director of the concerned film to furnish a NOC from the biopic’s subject or their family.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) should write to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) stating that the film has portrayed the IAF in a very flippant and irresponsible manner.
Well articulated. If they wanted to make a movie on real person they could have kept it real.