A tale of bravery

Gurnaaz Kaur

Biopics are becoming quite a norm these days. Add a punch of patriotism and the formula is sure a hit. The recent example is the success of Uri: The Surgical Strike. Now this week, we have a heroic story of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat on the big screen. 

Titled 72 Hours: Martyr Who Never Died, it’s based on the real events of the 1962 Sino-India War and in particular about the gallantry of Jaswant Singh Rawat, who single-handedly fought Chinese army for three days. While he was awarded Maha Vir Chakra posthumously, his tale of bravery, debutant director Avinash Dhyani believes, needs to reach the masses. 

Big impact

Avinash, who is portraying Jaswant Singh in the film, decided to launch himself in mainstream cinema with a story that is relevant. “I’ve been working on this film for over four years. I didn’t restrict it to the sets, but wanted to keep it very realistic and, therefore, spent months exploring the right location. But, the bigger challenge was to find a producer. Luckily, I found JS Rawat from Dehradun, who felt sentimental about the story and agreed to produce it,” Avinash says. 

Deity status

Avinash may have begun work only four years ago, but this story has been close to his heart since childhood. His father, who was serving in the 11th Garhwal Rifles, often narrated the tale of his senior Jaswant from the 4th Garhwal Rifles. It is said that Jaswant is guarding the post even after his death and he attained the status of a deity at the Sino-Indian frontier! 

“I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes how the soldiers at the Arunachal border ready his uniform, keep food for him and by the next day the uniform is found used!. Jaswant’s story of valour and love for the country is an inspiration to those fellow soldiers; I wonder how no one thought of bringing it to life on the 70-mm.” 

Avinash hails from Dehradun and has been living in Mumbai since a decade. Having no background in the industry, he has made every effort to find his footing. It may not have been easy, but he doesn’t like to call it a struggle. “I consciously chose to not do a side role in TV or films, therefore I never auditioned for any because I wanted to be introduced as a hero in a feature film.”

Theatre, 15 short films, jobs as assistant director and many other roles behind the screen were his medium of learning, and he has put it all on display with 72 hours: Martyr Who Never Died. The film also stars Virendra Saxena, Shishir Sharma and Alka Amin, among others.

gurnaaz@tribunemail.com