Captian Vikram Batra - Awarded Param Vir Chakra- Biopic- Titled Shershah:

In the upcoming film Shershaah, Sidharth Malhotra is set to play Captian Vikram Batra 

in a biopic directed by Vishnuvardhan  and produced by Dharma Productions and Pen India Limited.

Captian Vikram Batra :

CaptianVikram Batra,  (9 September 1974 – 7 July 1999) was an officer of the Indian Army, awarded with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest and most prestigious award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War.

Batra was born on 9 September 1974, in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India. He was the third child of Girdhari Lal Batra, a government school principal, and Kamal Kanta Batra, a school teacher. He was the elder of twin sons and had two sisters.  He attended the D.A.V. Public School in Palampur, where he studied up to middle standard. He received his senior secondary education at Central School, Palampur. In 1990, he and his twin brother represented their school in table tennis at All India KVS Nationals. He also was a green belt holder in Karate and went on to attend a national level camp in Manali.

Later, he attended D.A.V. College, Chandigarh in B.Sc Medical Science. At college, he joined the Air Wing of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) while he was in the first year. During the Inter-State NCC Camp, he was adjudged the best NCC Air Wing cadet of Punjab Directorate in North Zone. He was selected and underwent a 40-day paratrooping training with his NCC Air Wing unit at Pinjore Airfield and Flying Club. During the next two years in DAV, he remained a cadet of the Army Wing of NCC.

He afterward qualified for the 'C' certificate in the NCC and attained the rank of Senior Under Officer in his NCC unit. Subsequently, in 1994, he was selected for the Republic Day parade as a NCC cadet, and when he came back home, he told his parents that he wanted to join the Army. In 1995, while still in college, he was selected for the merchant navy, at a shipping company headquartered in Hong Kong, but ultimately he changed his mind. That same year he completed his bachelor's degree, graduating from the DAV College in Chandigarh.

Following completion of his bachelor's degree in 1995, he enrolled at Punjab University in Chandigarh, where he took admission in MA English course, so that he could prepare for the "Combined Defence Services" (CDS) Examination. He attended evening classes at the University and worked part-time in the morning as a branch manager of a travelling agency in Chandigarh.

In 1996, he passed the CDS examination and got selected at the Services Selection Board (SSB) at Allahabad. He was among the top 35 candidates in the Order of Merit. After completing a year (session 1995-96) toward the degree of MA in English, he left the University to join the Indian Military Academy.

In the words of his father, Vikram had found his purpose in life. He had found the way to a righteous path that would lead him to his goal to a service that was extraordinarily high and supreme. 

Batra joined the Indian Military Academy, (IMA) at Dehradun in June 1996

in the Manekshaw Battalion. After completing his 19-month training course, he graduated from the IMA on 6 December 1997 and was commissioned as a lieutenant into the 13th battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (13 JAK RIF). After commissioning, he was sent to the regimental centre in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh for further training. The training lasted one month from December 1997 to the end of January 1998.

On completion of this training, he was posted to Sopore,Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, an area with significant militant activity. In mid-March 1998, he was sent to the Infantry School at Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, for the Young Officer's Course. This training lasted five months until September 1998. Following the completion of the course and being awarded alpha grading, he rejoined his battalion in Sopore in October 1998.

During his posting in Sopore, Batra had several encounters with militants. In one of those encounters when Batra was leading an ambush with his platoon into an area of dense forest, he had a miraculous escape when a bullet fired by a militant grazed his shoulder and struck one of Batra's men behind him, killing the soldier. Batra proceeded to order his men to nab the militants, and by morning all of the militants had been killed. Batra, however, was saddened, because he knew that the bullet was meant for him. "Didi, it was meant for me and I lost my man," he had told his elder sister over the phone.

In January 1999, Batra was sent to attend the Commando Course at Belgaum, Karnataka where he excelled. The course lasted for two months and at the end of it, he was awarded the highest grading the Instructor's Grade.

Every time when he came home to Palampur on leave, he would visit the Neugal Cafe. Batra last came home on leave from the army in 1999, during the Holi festival for a few days. During that time, when he went to the café for a coffee, he met his best friend and later on fiancee Dimple Cheema who told him to be careful in the war, to which Batra replied: “I'll either come back after raising the Indian flag in victory or return wrapped in it. But I'll come back for sure.”

After his leave, he returned to join his battalion in Sopore. 13 JAK RIF, after completing its counter-insurgency tenure in Kashmir under 192 Mountain Brigade of 8 Mountain Division, received orders to proceed to Shahjahanpur,UP. The battalion's advance party under Maj. Yogesh Kumar Joshi had reached its destination, when on 5 June, because of the outbreak of the Kargil War, its deployment orders were changed and the battalion received orders to move to Dras, Jammu and Kashmir.

Batra informed his parents about his movement and assured them that they need not worry about him. He would call his parents at least once in ten days. The last phone call he made was on 29 June 1999, in which he said "Mommy, ek dum fit hoon, fikar mat karna", ("I'm absolutely fine. Don't you worry.") This was the last time that Batra spoke to his mother.

Beginning his service as a lieutenant, he rose to the rank of  Captain.

The 13 JAK RIF reached Dras on 6 June, was placed under the command of 56 Mountain Brigade, and was given orders to act as reserves to the 2nd battalion, Rajputana Rifles (2 RAJ RIF) during their attack on Tololing mountain. The 18th battalion, The Grenadiers (18 Grenadiers) first attacked Tololing on 22 May, but were unable to capture the peak. 18 Grenadiers made four attempts to capture Tololing, but could only succeed in securing the lower slopes, while suffering heavy casualties. Eventually, 2 RAJ RIF was assigned the mission of capturing Tololing and they did so on 13 June 1999.

After the capture of Tololing, 13 JAK RIF marched from Dras to Tololing, reaching their destination in 12 hours. Upon reaching, A Coy, 13 JAK RIF took over Tololing and a portion of the Hump Complex from 18 Grenadiers.

Vikram Batra was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor on 15 August 1999, the 52nd anniversary of India's independence. His father G.L. Batra received the honor for his deceased son from the President of India, the late K.R.Narayanan.

The Param Vir Chakra citation reads as follows:

CITATION : CAPTAIN VIKRAM BATRA

13 JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIFLES (IC 57556)

During ‘Operation Vijay’, on 20 June 1999, Captain Vikram Batra, Commander Delta Company was tasked to attack Point 5140. Captain Batra with his company skirted around the feature from the East and maintaining surprise reached within assaulting distance of the enemy. Captain Batra reorganized his column and motivated his men to physically assault the enemy positions. Leading from the front, he in a daredevil assault, pounced on the enemy and killed four of them in a hand-to hand fight. On 7 July 1999, in another operation in the area Pt 4875, his company was tasked to clear a narrow feature with sharp cuttings on either side and heavily fortified enemy defences that covered the only approach to it. For speedy operation, Captain Batra assaulted the enemy position along a narrow ridge and engaged the enemy in a fierce hand –to-hand fight and killed five enemy soldiers at point blank range. Despite sustaining grave injuries, he crawled towards the enemy and hurled grenades clearing the position with utter disregard to his personal safety, leading from the front, he rallied his men and pressed on the attack and achieved a near impossible military task in the face of heavy enemy fire. The officer, however, succumbed to his injuries. Inspired by his daredevil act, his troops fell upon the enemy with vengeance, annihilated them and captured Point 4875.

Captain Vikram Batra, thus, displayed the most conspicuous personal bravery and leadership of the highest order in the face of the enemy and made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

— Gazette of India Notification: No. 16 – Press/2000.

Vikram Batra is also well known in India for using the slogan, Yeh Dil Maange More! as his signal to communicate mission success.

In the 2003 Hindi Film LOC Kargil, based on the entire Kargil conflict Abhishek Bachchan played the role of Captain Batra.