Latest news with #Prahaar
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor: Meet the actors who were with Indian Armed forces before joining Bollywood
Nana Patekar: From Sets to the Frontlines Bikramjeet Kanwarpal: Soldier Before Stardom Achyut Potdar: From Lecture Halls to Army Camps Gufi Paintal: Patriot Behind the Iconic Villain Anand Bakshi & Rehman: Naval and Aerial Service Mohammed Ali Shah: Legacy of Valor As the echoes of Operation Sindoor reverberate across the nation, India's military strength is again under the global lens. But the limelight isn't confined to defense strategies and war rooms—some faces from the silver screen also share a history of valiant service. These actors didn't just portray patriots in films—they donned real uniforms and served India with for his gritty performances, veteran actor Nana Patekar once answered a real call of duty during the 1999 Kargil conflict. Though initially denied, his persistence—and prior intense training with the Maratha Light Infantry for the film Prahaar—led then-Defense Minister George Fernandes to grant him a temporary commission. By August 1999, Patekar was officially serving as a captain in the Indian Army, bridging his reel heroism with real late Bikramjeet Kanwarpal wore the olive green long before stepping into the limelight. Enlisting in 1989, he served with distinction until retiring as a major in 2002. Inspired by his father, Lt. Col. Dwarka Nath Kanwarpal, his army values remained with him throughout his acting career. Known for roles in Page 3, 2 States, and 24, he often reminisced about his time in service—stories fondly remembered by colleagues after his untimely passing at 52 due to gracing Bollywood with performances in 3 Idiots and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Achyut Potdar served in the Indian Army. Beginning his career as a professor, he soon pivoted to military service and later to films at age 44. His decades-spanning acting journey is rooted in the discipline he acquired during his army tenure, which concluded in known as 'Shakuni Mama' from Mahabharata, Gufi Paintal also served India during the 1962 Indo-China War. Then a student of engineering, he was recruited directly from college and joined the Artillery unit along the China border—an experience that shaped his resilience and on-screen Anand Bakshi served in the Indian Navy from 1944 to 1956 before becoming a musical legend. Similarly, actor Rehman once flew with the Royal Indian Air Force before becoming a matinee idol through films like Waqt and Pyar Ki Shah's nephew, Mohammed Ali Shah, brought authenticity to his army officer role in Haider—a role he lived in real life as an officer posted at the Indo-Pak border for two years before joining cinema.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
THIS Bollywood actor wore the army uniform for real and fought the Kargil War, and the name is Nana Patekar
Bollywood has given the world of entertainment many war stories, a lot of which took inspiration from real border stories. However, did you know there is a Bollywood actor, a three-time national-award winner, who actually served in the army for real in the time of dire need! This actor wore the army uniform for real during the 1999 Kargil War, and he was none other than Bollywood's veteran actor Nana Patekar. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Bollywood star who served in the Kargil War The 'Tirangaa' star Nana Patekar served in the Indian Army during the Kargil War. During his interaction with Amitabh Bachchan, Nana Patekar on 'Kaun Banega Crorepati 16', Nana shared about his once-in-a-lifetime experience and opportunity to serve the country on the border. When he first reached out to the senior officers from the division, Nana Patekar's request to join the men in uniform was denied, and the actor was told that only the defence minister could approve it. "I knew our Defence Minister George Fernandes ji, so I called him," Nana recalled. The actor continued, "Even he said it is impossible. I told him that even though the training for commission is six months, I trained for three years. He was surprised and asked me about it. After learning of my experience with the Maratha Light Infantry, he asked me, 'When do you want to go?' He mentioned that he lived and trained with the Maratha Light Infantry of the Army for three years in the early 90s. Back then, he was writing his film 'Prahaar.' Nana dedicated more than two weeks at the front near the LoC in August 1999, assisting the soldiers and even volunteering at the base hospital for a few days. The actor remembered his involvement with the Quick Response Team (QRT) while he was in Kargil. Nana Patekar recalled that he lost a lot of weight during that time; however, his heart was filled with contentment and satisfaction. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "I was 76 kg when I reached Srinagar. By the time I came back, I was 56 kg," he shared. Nana Patekar's cinematic front After serving in the army in the Kargil War, Nana resumed his work as an actor. He was last seen in Anil Sharma's 'Vanvaas,' which made it to the theatres in December 2024.
India.com
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This secret superhero first salary was Rs 350, wanted to become a college lecturer, was forced to become.., worked with many superstars, his name is…
Sham Kaushal, who rose from a poor family in Mirzapur, a small village in Tanda, Punjab, to become a big action director in Bollywood, is an example for others. Born in 1955, Kaushal's father, Lala Dharampal, used to run a small grocery shop in the village. Mother Kanta Devi used to take care of the house. Kaushal received his primary education in the village school and studied in the government school Chautala until the tenth standard. Kaushal, who grew up in extreme poverty under the light of a lantern, graduated in 1975 by securing first position from Government College Tanda. He obtained a post-graduation in English from Government College, Hoshiarpur. Talking to Bhaskar, Kaushal said that one had to cross the Hoshiarpur Barsaati Cho at that time. 'After MA English, I wanted to become a college lecturer, but could not afford to study MPhil at Punjab University, Chandigarh. So I kept looking for a job for a year but failed,' said Sham Kaushal. Meanwhile, his friend and classmate Satpal, who had come from Bombay, advised him to go to Mumbai and try his luck for a job. During his early days, Sham borrowed Rs 3000 at 5% interest from his father and went to Mumbai in 1978. Here he got a job as a salesman at a salary of 350 rupees per month. 'There was no place to live, so I would sleep in the office after duty. After a year, I repaid my loan and came back to my village,' said Sham. He went back to Mumbai, resigned from his job, and decided to do his own work. The Punjabi boys living with him advised him to become a stuntman. Seeing work without investment, he decided to try his luck. He took training and became a stuntman in 1980. He has also worked in Hollywood. Sham Kaushal says that he was doing good work as a stuntman. During this time, seeing his work, Nana Patekar gave him the first break as an action director in his film Prahaar, and with this, his new career started. Kaushal bought a small house in 1986 and then got married in Pandori Bava Das near his village in Punjab without a baraat and dowry. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sham Kaushal (@shamkaushal09) Only the brother and father were present in the wedding procession. There are two sons. Elder son Vicky Kaushal, after engineering, has worked in award-winning films like Masaan and is working with directors like Raj Kumar Hirani in the future too. Younger son Sunny Kaushal has entered the film industry after completing His younger brother and cousin run a shop in Punjab.
