Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 15, 2018)

Staying true to his research-backed approach to war dramas, filmmaker J P Dutta ensured he did extensive homework on the 1967 Indo-China military clashes before going behind the camera for Paltan. The director reveals that he found able support in Lieutenant Attar Singh and Major Bishan Singh, who were part of the clash that took place along the Sikkim border.

While Major Singh took over as the company commander with Captain P S Dagar as his second-in-command, Lieutenant Singh was part of the 2 Grenadiers unit during the skirmish. The former Army officers, along with the family of Captain Prithvi Singh Dagar (who lost his life in the battle), helped the makers recreate Nathu La — which served as the war front — in Ladakh.

Dutta reveals that Lieutenant Singh accompanied the unit of the Arjun Rampal and Sonu Sood starrer to Ladakh for the shoot. "Before commencing the shoot, I travelled to Nathu La to study the location. [As part of my research], I took photos from the jawans' family albums and they too would send me first-hand information over mail. Attar travelled with us to Ladakh and zeroed in on the various locations that he thought looked closest to Nathu La."

The director adds that he met several Army officers from the respective battalions while scripting the final instalment of his war trilogy. "I always start my research by reaching out to the commanding officer of the battalion in question. It took me close to a year to complete my research."


File photo of Major Bishan Singh