Manushi Chhillar opens up on her prep for 'Operation Valentine'
What's the story
After Hrithik Roshan's Fighter, another high-octane action film based on the Indian Air Force (IAF) is gearing up for its release. Starring Varun Tej and Manushi Chhillar in the lead, Operation Valentine is a bilingual movie that will hit cinema halls on March 1. Ahead of its release, Chhillar opened up on her preparation and experience of being guided by Air Force officers.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Chhillar, whose father is a scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), had a surface knowledge of the armed forces. Yet, she had to undergo training for Operation Valentine to understand their functioning and her role better. Also starring Mir Sarwar, Navdeep, and Shataf Figar, the film will be released in Hindi and Telugu languages. It will mark Tej's debut in Bollywood.
About Chhillar's character
Chhillar learned basics of being radar officer
In the movie, Chhillar will be seen playing a radar officer's role. To prepare for her character, she had to learn the basics of "the structure of the Air Force." "I had to understand what a radar officer is supposed to do, basic things like body language, the tonality of your voice, and how to give a certain command," said the actor.
Guidance from Air Force
Received continuous guidance from Air Force team
To make things appear authentic, some members of the Air Force team would always be present on set. Regarding this, Chhillar said that she had to dig in deep for information. "I always had that guidance on set whenever we needed any extra information or wherever I was going away from how a normal radar officer would do a certain thing," she said.
What's the film about
Tej on comparisons with 'Fighter'
Like Fighter, Operation Valentine is based on the 2019 Pulwama attack and the IAF's Balakot airstrike. Clarifying that both films are different from each other, Tej recently told Zoom, "Our idea was to take a very realistic approach." "It is not just about the war situation, it is about the pilots, their families, about what they go through...about how their mental state is."
About 'Operation Valentine'
Team behind 'Operation Valentine'
Operation Valentine marks the directorial debut of Shakti Pratap Singh Hada. He has also co-written the film along with Aamir Nahid Khan and Siddharth Raj Kumar. The film is backed by Sony Pictures International Productions, which previously produced Adivi Sesh starrer Major (2022). It is also jointly produced by Sandeep Mudda's Renaissance Pictures, God Bless Entertainment, and Nandakumar Abbineni.