This BSF story needs to be told: Emraan Hashmi

Emraan Hashmi will be portraying real-life hero Commandant Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey, who led one of the most daring anti-terror operations in the history of the Border Security Force, resulting in the elimination of the notorious Ghazi Baba, and earning Dubey the prestigious Kirti Chakra.

The actor talks about his role and the movie:

How was your experience playing a BSF officer?

Well, sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. I remember telling Dubey when I met him for the first time, ‘Your story is very filmy’. It’s a story of sacrifice, and really inspiring. It’s unbelievable, how the BSF officers planned it for two years, right up to the final encounter in 2003.

What made you decide to accept the film?

I decided to do this film after a 5-minute narration from Ritesh [Sidhwani] as it was coming from a wholesome maker. I knew that the marketing strategy, the presentation and everything needed to excel in every sphere of film-making would be there.

Secondly, I felt this story has not been discussed much in the public domain. It’s our good fortune that we got the opportunity of showing this story on the big screen. It makes a fabulous cinematic watch, not just because it has got the drama, action and thrill, but because at the heart there is a hugely emotional human story which highlights the sacrifices of the BSF officers. The operation destabilized the entire infrastructure of Jaish-e-Mohammed; they couldn’t plan a single terrorist act on Indian soil.

What challenges did you face while shooting?

I think playing an Army officer is on the bucket list of every actor. The BSF jawans educated me about even the smallest nuance that the role called for. They taught us how to respect seniors and behave with the juniors. They trained me in saluting, following protocol, how to reload the rifle and shoot. This helped me perform to the best of my ability. It brought gravitas and credibility to our roles. We didn’t just turn up in uniform on set.