Saluting Her Story: Real Female Officers And Wonder Women Who Inspired Bollywood Movies

The various Armed Forces of India have given the country numerous stories of sacrifice, valour and unwavering courage. Among these stories, there have been many women officers as well who have broken barriers to serve the nation with complete determination. Many unsung heroes went against societal norms to protect the country and the safety of citizens. The stories of these unknown warriors finally came to light when, inspired by their courage, many Indian filmmakers made biopics of them. 

The stories and sacrifices of these women soldiers finally received the recognition that they deserved, after Bollywood brought their stories to the masses. Their portrayal has inspired many people and has also educated others about the struggles that these real-life heroines went through. So, here are the Bollywood movies that have shed light on the legacy of women officers who have served the country. 

Rani Mukherji starrer Mardaani was inspired by a real-life woman police officer 

Released in 2014, Mardaani, starred Rani Mukherji in the role of the fierce and courageous police officer 'Shivani Shivaji Roy'. The film tells the story of a senior police officer and her fight against an illegal cartel and human traffickers. The main lead of the movie goes above and beyond to apprehend the cartel's kingpin when he goes for her adopted daughter. 

The story of Mardaani combined real-life investigations undertaken by the Mumbai police and their experiences with the cartels. Rani Mukherji also personally met with the Chief of the Mumbai Crime Branch to research her role. Though the story is not based on any one particular event, there have been much speculation that Rani Mukherji's character of 'Shivani Shivaji Roy' was based on the IPS officer Meera Chadha Borwankar who was also an officer during the investigations of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. 

Priyanka Chopra's Jai Gangaajal took inspiration from an IPS officer 

The Priyanka Chopra starter, Jai Gangaajal tells the story of IPS officer 'Abha Mathur' who goes all out against the local politician and his brother. The brothers operated a corrupt and criminal nexus in Bankipur district, Bihar. In the line of duty, the officer had to lead an individual fight against the politicians, and even her senior officer. She also had to navigate the societal issue of being a female officer working in the field. The film was directed by Prakash Jha and was released in 2017. 

Priyanka Chopra's character, 'Abha Mathur', was inspired by a real-life IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh, Isha Pant. The film-maker, Prakash Jha, had approached Officer Pant and told her about his idea to make a film on her life story. Then the director spent time with her and videotaped her daily activities so that Priyanka Chopra's portrayal of the IPS officer would be perfect and accurate. 

Taapsee Pannu's role in Naam Shabana was inspired by a real-life spy

Released in 2017, Naam Shabana, was the prequel to the Akshay Kumar starrer Baby. Taapsee Pannu reprised her role as 'Shabana Khan', an Indian Intelligence agent working undercover. The film told the origin story of how the main lead was a college student who was spotted by the intelligence team and was made an agent after they saw potential in her. 

The writer of the film, Neeraj Pandey, reportedly took help from an ex-intelligence officer who gave him details and personal experiences of being an undercover agent. The character was based on a real-life Indian undercover agent and her operations in Malaysia. The name and some other details of Taapsee Pannu's character were changed to protect the real identity of the ex-spy. 

Alia Bhatt as 'Sehmat' in Raazi told the story of an unknown hero 

Released in 2018, the Alia Bhatt starter, Raazi was inspired by a book named Calling Sehmat. The film told the story of 'Sehmat', an ordinary Indian girl who was thrust into the life of a RAW Agent and was married off to a Pakistani military family. As an agent, she had to sacrifice her love and family to protect her country, India, from a potential attack and foil the enemy's plan. 

Alia Bhatt's role as 'Sehmat' was based on the true events that took place during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. As shown in the movie, an Indian woman was trained as a RAW agent and then married a Pakistani military officer to provide Indian intelligence with confidential information. Director, Meghna Gulzar has stated numerous times that she had tried to remain as true to to the real story as possible. 

Janhvi Kapoor in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl told the story of a fighter pilot 

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, starring Janhvi Kapoor and released in 2020, depicted the story of one of the first female pilots of the Indian Air Force. The movie showed Gunjan's ambitions as a young girl and how she stood up against all kinds of challenges to fulfil her dream of becoming a pilot. She also fought against societal norms as a woman and went on to serve the country in the Kargil War. 

The film was based on the real-life story of Gunjan Saxena, one of the first few women pilots to fly during the Kargil War. She had also been credited by the Limca Book of Records as the first woman to fly an IAF plane in a combat zone. One of her primary roles during the war was to help in surveillance, shift the wounded and transport supplies. The film was based on the book, The Kaargil Girl written by Pilot Saxena herself. 

What are your thoughts on Bollywood movies inspired by Indian women officers? 

Also Read: Blazing Borders And Unknown Heroes: Shocking True Stories That Inspired Indo-Pak War Films 

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