On Balakot's 5th anniversary, 'Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond' teaser revives memories

MUMBAI: Marking the fifth anniversary of the IAF's air strikes on the terrorist base in the Pakistani town of Balakot, the makers of 'Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond' on Monday unveiled the teaser of the web show.

Soon to be released on JioCinema, the series takes the audience behind the scenes of the terror factory that was operating in Balakot and the ensuing mission to bring Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman back home.

On this day, India made a significant decision that altered its rules of military engagement forever. The Balakot airstrike was a bombing raid conducted by Indian warplanes on February 26, 2019, on a terrorist training camp. During the air strikes, Pakistan shot down an Indian warplane and took its pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman, as prisoner.

'Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond', starring Ashutosh Rana, Jimmy Shergill and Lara Datta, is inspired by this chapter of contemporary India's history.

The fast-paced 43-second video begins with a glimpse of February 14, when the Pulwama bomb attack took place on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, killing 46 CRPF men. The attack was perpetrated by a car-borne suicide bomber who targeted a convoy of vehicles carrying the CRPF men.

The teaser's voiceover says,"Taarikh badalti hai, itihas banta hai, par kuch taarikhen itihas bana deti hai." (Dates change, history is made, but some dates create history).

The video shows Jimmy's character saying, "Is baar itna gehra maarenge ki chot bhi lagegi, aur nishan bhi dikhega." (This time we will strike so deep that it will not only hurt, but will also leave a visible wound).

The teaser offers glimpses of an incredible storyline that explores the intricacies of the Balakot operation, delving into lesser-known aspects, strategies, and challenges that shaped the trajectory of events.

Talking about the series, Lara said: "Coming from an armed forces background, I understand their bravery, sacrifice, and love for the country first hand. The martyrs of Pulwama made the ultimate sacrifice five years ago; the Balakot airstrike, however, filled us with national pride."

She concluded by saying: "On the anniversary of this historic defence operation, this sneak peek aims to honour every soldier, with or without uniform, who reshaped our nation's defence narrative."

Directed by Santosh Singh, the series also has Ashish Vidyarthi and Prasanna playing important roles.