Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 5, 2018)

After Border (1997) and LOC: Kargil (2003), J P Dutta is all set to complete his war drama trilogy with the upcoming release, Paltan. The film is based on the 1967 Indo-China military clash that took place at Nathu La, along the Sikkim border. The movie unveils the untold story of our brave soldiers, who fought an intense battle to ward off Chinese infiltration.

Point out that he is among the few Indian filmmakers, who are associated with war dramas and Dutta says, “It’s sad that mine is one of the only names that people associate with war dramas. Why is it that in our country, most filmmakers don’t connect with that man standing with a gun, guarding the borders of our nation, which has never been an aggressor or provoker, ever? A mother sends her son to the border so that you and I can spend time with our mothers. What a strong family it must be that stands behind a soldier. When filmmakers make war films, often, the idea is to not just educate viewers about what happened, but also to make them realise the futility of a war.”

Dutta, who has also written Paltan, says that the idea of sharing his vision with the audience drives him to make such films. “I am the medium between the jawans and the audience and that drives me to go after their stories. Also, tales of clashes like the one that took place at Nathu La have been brushed under the carpet.”

The director shares that making war dramas don’t drain him emotionally. “They egg me to move and seek my next story. I feel as if soldiers from across our country are calling out to me to narrate the stories of the battles that they fought for all of us,” he says.

Paltan, presented by Zee Studios & Produced by J P Films, releases on September 7