IAF objects to ‘negative portrayal’ of work culture in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl

New Delhi, Aug 12: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has objected to the portrayal of its work culture in the movie "Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl", which was released on streaming platform Netflix on Wednesday.

The letter written by the IAF and accessed by ANI, read, "In the aim to glorify the screen character of ''Ex-Flt Lt Gunjan Saxena'', M/s Dharma Productions presented some situations that are misleading and portray an inappropriate work culture especially against women in the IAF."

It added IAF as a service has always ensured the organisation is gender neutral and provided equal opportunities to male and women personnel.

"However, the production house has not deleted the scenes but had proposed a media plan in the run up to the release and inserting a disclaimer in the movie," the letter said, adding IAF considers these measures inadequate.

The film is based on the life of Gunjan Saxena, then a flying officer, who became the first woman combat aviator to fly into a war zone during the 1999 Kargil War.

Starring Jahnvi Kapoor, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Vineet Kumar Singh, Manav Vij and Angad Bedi, "Gunjan Saxena" will start streaming on Netflix from August 12.

The Defence Ministry had written to the CBFC last month raising strong objections to the depiction of armed forces personnel in some web series.

It had urged that production houses may be advised to obtain a no-objection certificate from the ministry before telecasting any film, documentary or web series on an Army theme, they added.

The ministry had received some complaints raising strong objections about the portrayal of Indian Army personnel and the military uniform in an "insulting manner", they said.