On the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War, as we pay homage to the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of our soldiers and officers, we also celebrate the lesser-known story of veteran actor Nata Patekar who donned a soldier's uniform and joined the frontline in the 1999 Kargil War. The actor was part of the elite Quick Reaction Force for two months.
In an interview with The Lalllantop, Nana Patekar shared about his time at the 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan.
Nana Patekar recalls his involvement in the Kargil War
When asked about his involvement in the Kargil War, Nana said in Hindi, “I wanted to be a part of the Kargil War, and George Fernandes was the Defence Minister at that time. I had completed a commando course, and I am a good shooter with national-level experience in the 300m rifle category. I expressed my desire to join, but when I called General Patan, he said they couldn't take me because I was a civilian. I then called Fernandes, who also denied saying that civilians are not allowed. I then said that it takes six months to get a commission and I had already spent three years in training. He asked me when I wanted to go, and I said, "Today." And so it happened.”
Nana was a part of the Quick Reaction Team
He further said, “I was there for 60 days, stationed at various locations like Mugalpura, Drass, Kupwara, Baramulla, and Sopore.” When asked what he did there, the veteran actor replied, “I don’t want to tell that but eventually I was part of the quick reaction team. When I went, I weighed 76 kg, but after two months, I was down to 56 kg.”
“I am sharing this after many years because you asked; otherwise, I wouldn't have mentioned it. I felt happy knowing that I could contribute something for my country,” the actor added.
Nana Patekar was last seen in Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Vaccine War’.