To the makers of ‘Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl’ from a veteran

Who am I and Why am I qualified to write this?

I am an Air Veteran and today I write to you in reference with the movie “Gunjan Saxena- The Kargil Girl”. My career in Air Force gave me great amount of exposure and I was extremely lucky to have some great assignments in India and abroad. I have some awesome experiences while working with women officers in general and in flying branch in particular. I have been voicing my opinion on various forums and this informed opinion comes out of my own experiences.

Before you begin to think about my experience here is a summary:

– The first batch of Women Pilots passed out with my course in Dec 1994

– The second batch of Women Pilots trained together in AFA on Kiran aircraft

– The third batch of Women Pilots trained together in Helicopter Training School

– The fourth batch (Gunjan’s batch) trained together in Helicopter Training School

– I trained Shaliza Dhami who then went on to become first woman Flying Instructor of Indian Air Force. She is presently first woman Flight Commander of an operational unit.

– I was Flight Commander of 132 Flight, Udhampur (yes same one as Gunjan). We had Women Officers who made up 30 % of our pilot strength.

– I Commanded a unit in which Women Officers were 30% of total pilot strength.

At the outset let me compliment the good work done by all actors. They have perfectly played the parts and narrative as allotted. You have been most authentic in display of uniform, offices & briefing rooms of Indian Air Force. Great Job there too. The scenes & story between the family members is also very realistic. Great job there too.

‪Every story needs a challenge & rebirth /revival of the protagonist. I am aware of the Story Spine as well as Joseph Campbell’s formula of Storytelling. I am fully conscious that you wanted to show the challenges faced by Gunjan Saxena.

Dear Movie Maker, this is where you have not done well at all. In your need for creative freedom, you have depicted some great institutions in poor light. To me, these institutions are pillars of the Indian Air Force. These institutions have the greatest contribution to nurturing the growth of every pilot of the Indian Air Force. Here is a debrief (Pilots do not give feedback, they debrief)

The Flight Commander

The Flight Commander is busiest, most efficient & strictest of them all.

Yet he is the most loved one. ‪He is like a bandmaster; his only job is to tune & retune the music so that melody emerges. You cannot do this without knowing each team member. The needs of every member are known to Flight Commander & he spends hours ensuring the different gears move together to make the unit perform. This is a tough job. There exists no work-life balance for a Flight Commander. But that is where it becomes most satisfying tenure. The boys & girls never forget you & you cherish memories of your Flight Commandership.

Debrief

Flight Commanders welcome newly posted officers, they do not insult them. They groom youngsters, do not humiliate them. They uphold the institution of Commanding Officer. They do not let anyone talk loosely about anyone in front of them. Surely not about CO & another officer. A pilot prepared for sortie is the most motivated soldier and never does a Flight Commander kill that motivation. He doesn’t pamper juniors so much that they start to “chalao him”

You have not understood the greatness of this institution. You got it wrong here.

The ‪Commanding Officer

This is the most coveted assignment in the Armed Forces.

The designation, responsibility & authority is unique. It cannot be compared to any other designation. Only a few get chosen for that job and that selection is based on years of good performance. Apart from great professional expertise, these officers are judged on their maturity & compassion. Meet any Ex Commanding Officer and he makes it a point to tell you Which unit he commanded. COs are super proud of their Command.

‪Debrief 

Commanding Officers know every nook and corner of their unit and hence know there is no changing room. They are careful in their language and their demeanor is worth emulating. The CO is aware of everything that happens in the unit. They do not get shocked in briefing room. They let the Flight Commander run the unit not “Chalao them”.

COs are compassionate towards youngsters especially when they are going through a tough time. Every Commanding Officer of the Indian Air Force knows the pulse of the unit, finally, it is their unit and they are proud of that.

You have not understood the revered institution. You got it wrong here too.

The Youngsters

These are the real “Karta Dharta” of the unit.

Unit is led by Commanding Officer and Flight Commander but “chalti hain” thanks to this team. These teammates bond with each other like a family. Their age is such that they are full of Masti and Hungama. They work hard, play hard and party harder. Bring on a mission and they change their bearing within a minute. They work together in unit but bond together on food, drinks, and dance. They are the heart of the unit.

Debrief

Unit-mates help you to settle down in new unit, they don’t make your life miserable. They are a team and will always adjust for other mates too. They groom the new officer by interacting not by running away. They are on the job trainers and ensure that new guy is trained in all aspects Flying, Sports, Ethos, Traditions (bar traditions included). Air Force pilots do not chicken out from flying with anyone as a Co-Pilot. They have trust in the training academy and know that the youngster has passed without any dilution of standards.

The Heart of the IAF

You have not understood the heart of the Indian Air Force. You got it wrong here too.

Debrief

Indian Air Force is an organization wherein officers from all branches take on individual responsibilities. Mentoring is an integral part of our process and best part is it has never been documented. As an organization we trust each other and boost the confidence of young team members. This is seen across branches of IAF.

Whether it is young ATC officer handling RT or young logistician signing contracts, “We have lots of Cheerleaders”. Flying especially in young days is challenging and is roughly half skill and half motivation/self-confidence. The ecosystem makes sure that the pilot remains motivated to fly each day. We understand that a motivated pilot irrespective of seniority is a force to reckon with.

What do I think about the movie?

I am sure by now you have received enough debrief on gender equality and treatment given to Women Officers. I am confident that I can give you some insights into that aspect from a male officer’s’ perspective. Being a strong supporter of gender-neutral talent, my insights come because of years of experience and some real-life first-hand stories. But let us leave that for some other day.

My debrief is specifically intended to make you understand the culture of Indian Air Force. Names and personalities will come and go but certain Offices have greater responsibility than we can ever fathom.

You have portrayed the institutionalized demeaning /victimization of an officer and that is just not acceptable. I sign off by a piece of advice “Next time you want to make a movie about IAF, please do keep Creative Freedom aside and give full weightage to Organisation Culture. Your movie will do well, and you will earn the respect of countrymen

Yours,

A Proud Air Veteran