Shershaah: Kargil war hero Vikram Batra's biopic, starring Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani, gets a title

The upcoming biopic on Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra has been officially titled Shershaah, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions announced on Thursday. Sidharth Malhotra will slip into Batra’s shoes in the film, whereas Kiara Advani will play the female lead.

Captain Vikram Batra, an officer of the Indian Army, fought in the Kargil War in June 1999 in the Dras sub-sector. He was instrumental in the capture of Point 5140 on the Tololing Ridge leading to Tiger Hill. He laid down his life during the subsequent operation of Point 4875, bravely rushing forward to rescue Lieutenant Naveen, a subaltern under Batra. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his actions during the war. Sidharth recently started training for the role and on army drills and has also learnt the use of military weapons. A press release stated that Sidharth is training is to get the body language and army etiquette correct. The actor will begin shooting from the first week of May in Chandigarh, followed by Palampur, Batra’s hometown. The film will be extensively shot in North India for 70 days across the regions of Chandigarh, Palampur, Kashmir and Ladakh.