New Delhi:
The Indian Army keeps the country safe from enemies by risking its life. India has seen many wars in the last few decades and the Kargil war is the most important among them. Many films have been made in Bollywood regarding the Kargil war. However, there is a person between Bollywood and the army, who not only convinced the Defense Minister to allow him to join the army, but also worked on the front. This person was not an ordinary person, rather he was a three-time National Award winner.

We are talking about Nana Patekar. Nana Patekar is an actor who joined the Indian Army during the Kargil War. He recently appeared on Kaun Banega Crorepati 16, where he shared his inspiring story of serving the country during the war. In the early 1990s, Nana served as an Army officer for three years while working for his film Prahar. Trained with Light Infantry. When the Kargil war broke out, he approached senior officers of the division and expressed his desire to join the troops on the frontline. However, his request was initially rejected, as such approval required the consent of the Defense Minister.

Nana shared on KBC Hot Seat, “I knew our Defense Minister George Fernandes ji, so I called him.” He further elaborated, “Even he said it was impossible. I told him that although there is six months of training for commission, I have trained for three years. He was surprised and asked me about it.” After learning about my experience with the Maratha Light Infantry, he asked, ‘When do you want to go?’

In August 1999, Nana spent more than a fortnight on the front lines near the Line of Control (LOC). There he assisted the soldiers and worked in the hospital at the base for several days. Nana revealed that he lost 20 kilograms of weight there. He said, “When I reached Srinagar, my weight was 76 kg. By the time I came back, my weight had increased to 56 kg.” Nana Patekar resumed his film career after serving in Kargil. Recently he appeared in Anil Sharma’s Vanvas, which released in theaters in December 2024.