Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 21, 2017)

Soon after collaborating with the Indian Army to provide physical training to the actors of his upcoming war film, Paltan, filmmaker J P Dutta is now set to rope in the Army’s serving officers to feature in the film. Cast member Siddhanth Kapoor, who plays a soldier in the movie based on the India-Sino War of 1962, tells mid-day, “Dutta sir has decided to rope in only a handful of junior artistes, and appoint real-life soldiers to feature as officers in the film. It is because of these decisions that he can make a war film look so convincing.”

Dutta tells mid-day that his film’s star cast, comprising Abhishek Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Sonu Sood, Pulkit Samrat, Suniel Shetty, Jimmy Sheirgill, Luv Sinha and Jackie Shroff, have already kicked off training with the officials. “They need to keep themselves extremely fit because it is a war film, and a lot of action is involved in it,” Dutta says.

The unit will kick off shooting in September in Ladakh, where they will get three days to adjust to the environment. “We won’t film for the first three days, since it has been advised that the crew be given time to acclimatize. Getting used to the high altitude and the biting cold will be a challenge for them,” he says, adding that the enthusiasm of his actors has also given him new vigour.

With the Central Government offering its support to Dutta, the filmmaker has procured permissions to shoot in the volatile zones near the Indo-China border. Dutta believes that China is a potent threat to India’s safety, which is why the subject of his film is pertinent. Dutta adds that the involvement of the Indian Army in the filmmaking process will ensure the team’s safety while filming in dangerous locations.