Sidharth Malhotra remembers real-life ‘Shershaah’ Captain Vikram Batra on his 25th death anniversary

Mumbai: Captain Vikram Batra’s legacy is all about “bravery and honor”, said actor Sidharth Malhotra on Sunday as he marked the 25th death anniversary of the Kargil War hero whose codename was Sher Shah.

The actor, who played the titular role in 2021’s “Shershaah” based on the life of Captain Vikram Batra, remembered the real-life hero in a social media post.

“Param Vir Chakra, Captain Vikram Batra, it’s been 25 years since your fearless actions and ultimate sacrifice made history. Your legacy to this day remains the highest ideals of bravery and honor,” Malhotra captioned an archival photo of Captain Vikram Batra on X.

Captain Vikram Batra had led the charge of his troops of the 13th battalion of the JAKRIF regiment of the Indian Army during the Kargil War in 1999. He died on July 7, 1999 fighting Pakistani forces during the war at the age of 24. He was given the highest wartime gallantry award Param Vir Chakra’ posthumously.

Due to his exemplary feat, Captain Vikram Batra was awarded many titles, he came to be fondly called the ‘Tiger of Drass’, the ‘Lion of Kargil’ and ‘Kargil Hero’. ‘Yeh dil mange more’ was his victory slogan.

“We remember and honor you today and always for ‘Yeh Dil Mange More’. Jai Hind #CaptainVikramBatra #25YearsOfKargilVijay #Kargil,” the actor wrote in his post.

Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed every year on July 26 to mark India’s win over Pakistan in the war. This year marks its 25th anniversary.

“Shershaah” was directed by Vishnuvardan and had a direct-to-digital release on Prime Video in 2021 and featured Malhotra in the double role of Captain Vikram Batra and his twin brother Vishal Batra.

The Hindi film received an overwhelming response from the critics as well as the audiences for its heartfelt story and soulful songs such as “Raataan Lambiyan” and “Mann Bharryaa”.

At the 69th National Film Awards, “Shershaah won the Special Jury Award (Feature Film).

“Shershaah” also starred Kiara Advani, Shiv Panditt, Raj Arjun, Pranay Pachauri, Himanshu Ashok Malhotra, Nikitin Dheer, Anil Charanjeett, Sahil Vaid, Shataf Figar and Pawan Chopra. It was jointly produced by Dharma Productions and Kaash Entertainment.

Malhotra and Advani, who played Dimple Cheema, the fiancee of Captain Vikram Batra in “Shershaah”, tied the knot in February 2023, two years after the release of the film. (PTI)