Flight Lieutenant (retd.) Gunjan Saxena, whose Netflix biopic Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, has been courting controversies since its release, has responded to claims that the film is factually incorrect.
Gunjan's batchmate, Flight Lieutenant (retd.) Sreevidya Rajan, had recently said that that she was the first female pilot to fly in rescue operations during the Kargil War.
In an interview with NDTV, Gunjan said that when she went to Kargil she did not think about setting any record or trying to make history. Her sole focus was to do her job well.
Gunjan said that the IAF had arranged for media interaction after the conflict and it was there when her name was projected as the first woman to fly for IAF in a rescue operation. She added, “From July 1999 till today, my name has featured in a number of headlines, in a number of articles, and in the Limca Book of Records, and in one of the promotion exams taken by the air force."
Saying the controversy has only stemmed due to the film, she added, “Between July 1999 and today, I don’t see what has changed. The only thing that has changed is this movie being released,” she said.
Addressing Sreevidya, Gunjan said that she never flew at the same time during Kargil operations. She added that she was not stationed in Srinagar at the same time. “I don’t think I was looking for any clarification, about who came in one week before,” she said.
Previously, in an open letter, Retired Wing Commander Namrita Chandi, had accused the film of 'peddling lies.' She also wrote that Sreevidya Rajan was the first lady pilot who flew to Kargil and not Gunjan.
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