Randeep Hooda to headline 'Operation Khukri' after bagging film rights

Mumbai, May 20 (IANS) Bollywood star Randeep Hooda, who is currently basking in the success of his latest release “Jaat”, has bagged the film rights to the military bestseller “Operation Khukri” and will be seen starring in the epic war drama.

“‘Operation Khukri’ is a story that moved me deeply. It’s not just a tale of guns and glory, but of sacrifice, brotherhood, and unyielding courage in the face of insurmountable odds,” Randeep said about the upcoming project.

Randeep has secured the official movie rights to “Operation Khukri: The Untold Story of the Indian Army’s Bravest Peacekeeping Mission Abroad” by Major General Rajpal Punia, and Damini Punia, setting the stage for his next major project, a military drama chronicling one of the Indian Army’s most audacious operations on foreign soil, reports variety.com.

He added: “To step into the shoes of Major General Punia, a man who led his men out of a 75-day siege in an unknown land, is an honour and a responsibility. Our aim is to bring to life a chapter of Indian military history that deserves far more recognition — not just for the spectacle, but for the spirit of our soldiers who would rather die than surrender. I believe this story has the power to inspire every Indian.”

The film “Operation Khukri” will bring to screen the harrowing real-life events from 2000, when 233 Indian soldiers were held hostage by rebel forces in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and the subsequent high-risk rescue mission that followed.

The actor will portray Major General Raj Pal Punia (then a young Company Commander of the 14th Mechanised Infantry), who navigated both the tense standoff and the extraordinary rescue operation amid challenging jungle warfare conditions, according to variety.com.

The mission began as a peacekeeping effort but escalated into a tense 75-day standoff that tested the resolve of the Indian contingent, who found themselves surrounded without supplies in the hostile terrains of Kailahun.

The production houses Rahul Mittra Films and Randeep Hooda Films have exclusively acquired the adaptation rights to the Penguin Random House bestseller, which offers a first-hand account of the mission from Major General Punia himself, who orchestrated the operation.

--IANS

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