Bhuj The Pride of India; Ajay Devgn in virtuoso act in moving tale of India's triumph against odds in '71 war



By Rajesh Ahuja

At a crucial juncture of the film Bhuj The Pride of India, the protagonist vijay Karnik says,'maratha sirf do cheezen jaanta hai marna aur maarna( a maratha knows only two thinks killing the enemy or dying for the nation)

This dialogue of the film by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn,  who plays the role of IAF squadron leader Vijay Kanik the architect of India"s strong rebuff to the Pakistani attempt during the 1971 war to capture the Bhuj airbase, sums up the spirit of Bhuj the pride of India, currently streaming on Disney Hotstar 

Stories of the 1971 war between India and Pakistan,  sparked off by India's humanitarian assistance to residents of East Pakistan following their brutal  opression by the Pakistani authorities, is filled with tales of valour and sacrifice by personnel from the armed forces as well as the common folk who  all did their bit to protect the pride and integrity of the country in the  battle against Pakistan.

Bhuj The Pride of India is a moving tale of Armed force personnel joining hands with people from common walks of life to foil the nefarious designs of Pakistan to capture Indian territory.

Bhuj The Pride of India is a moving tale of India's triumph against odds in the 1971 war 



Bhuj The Pride of India, is   a story of a brave IAF officer Vijay Karnik (Ajay Devgn) who  reconstructed  the Bhuj airbase with the help of 300 local women after the Pakistani Air Force had destroyed the base during the 1971 war .

During the 1971 Indo‑Pak war, the IAF airstrip and the airbase at Bhuj were destroyed  by the  Pakistani Air Force. Subsequently, 300 local women led by IAF squadron leader Vijay Karnik heroically toiled day in and day out to reconstruct the airbase. This act of resilience was a pivotal moment which not only boosted the morale of the country, but also helped us win the war.

At the core of the film is the patriotic spirit that nestled in the heart of every Indian during the time,  be it  the personnel of the armed forces or people from common walks of life. 

From the very start of the film,  the writer and director Abhishek Dudhaiya tries to stir the patriotic spirit among viewers by highlighting the exploits of various people like Indian Army scout guide Ranchoddas Pagi(Sanjay Dutt), spy Heena Rehmaan(Nora Fatehi), Military officer Ram Karan Nair(Sharad Kelkar) and  Flight Lieutenant Vikram Singh Baj Jethaaz(Ammy Virk) who are pitching in with their efforts to foil any attempt by enemy country to inflict damage on India.

The screenplay of the film is fast paced keeping the viewers constantly hooked to the proceedings.  The dialogues are mass appealing intended to weave the patriotic spirit among the viewers.

 Infact, scenes like the IAF officer Vijay Karnik rending the heart rending poem 'Mera naam Hain Sipahi ' while convincing the common women from Bhuj to contribute to the efforts to reconstruct the damaged runway of the Bhuj airbase,  leaves you emotional and in tears.

The film is visually appealing with the war sequences being well mounted.

The real highlight of Bhuj The Pride of India,  however,  are its performances led by the ever dependable Ajay Devgn.  Devgn comes up with a virtuoso act as IAF squadron leader Vijay Karnik who, buoyed by his feeling of pride as an Indian,  single handedly takes upon himself the near impossible task to reconstructing the Bhuj runway by enlisting the help of  300 local women led by Sunderben jetha (Sonakshi Sinha). 

He weaves the patriotic spirit of viewers with his dialogues like
maratha sirf do cheezen jaanta hai marna aur maarna( a maratha knows only two thinks killing the enemy or dying for the nation) and the rendering of the poem 'Mera Naam Hai Sipahi'.

Nora Fatehi springs a surprise with her spirited act as Spy Heena Rehmaani.
Sharad Kelkar,  Sanjay Dutt  and Ammy Virk are impressive as Military officer Ram Karan Nair, Indian Army scout guide Ranchoddas Pagi, and  Flight Lieutenant Vikram Singh Baj Jethaaz respectively.

Sonakshi Sinha is effective as Sunderben jetha.

Bhuj The pride of India boasts of excellent cinematography with war sequences coming across as eye filling.

In short, Bhuj The Pride of India is a moving tale of India's triumph in the 1971 war against odds with brilliant performances by Ajay Devgn,  Sanjay Dutt,  Sharad Kelkar and Ammy Virk.

My rating; 3.5/5


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