'Dhurandhar' inspired by Major Mohit Sharma's real-life covert operation
What's the story
Ranveer Singh's upcoming film Dhurandhar is reportedly inspired by the life of Major Mohit Sharma, who operated undercover as Iftikhar Bhatt to infiltrate the Hizbul Mujahideen in the early 2000s. In a recent interview on Lt Cdr Bijay Nair's YouTube channel, Sharma's brother Madhur recounted an operation in which Sharma shot two terrorists using their own weapons.
Operation insights
Sharma's undercover operation details revealed by brother Madhur
Madhur revealed that the incident took place in 2004, but they only learned about it years later. He also mentioned that the version he heard was likely redacted, with certain operational details kept under wraps by authorities. "Mohit was living in Kashmir at the time and had developed a lot of relationships with the locals there and was quite well-connected," he said.
Trust-building
Sharma's strategy to gain terrorists' trust
Madhur shared that Sharma befriended two individuals who were frequently visiting a house. He stayed with them for two weeks, doing chores like cooking and cleaning, to earn their trust. "He was basically helping them like a servant, but obviously, there was a plan to all this," Madhur said. Sharma posed as someone whose family had suffered at the hands of the Indian government, which helped him gain the terrorists' trust.
Operation day
The fateful day of the operation
On the day of the operation, Sharma insisted on going with the terrorists. To gain their confidence, he handed them one of their own AK-47s and said, "If you don't trust me after two weeks, shoot me." This statement made the terrorists trust him a little more. "That's when he picked up the pistol from the table and he made two shots... killed both these guys and then he sat there and finished the kahwa," Madhur recounted.
Post-operation surprise
Sharma's calm demeanor post-operation surprised rescuers
After the operation, Sharma called his company and announced, "Boss aa jao, kaam ho gaya hai." When the rescuing officers blasted the door and saw Sharma drinking kahwa, they were surprised. "Tu pagal hai?" one officer asked him. Years later, when Madhur heard about this incident from Sharma himself, he found it hard to believe. Meanwhile, Dhurandhar is set to release on December 5.