Real Vs Reel: Here’s The True Story Behind ‘Bhuj The Pride of India’

Bhuj – The Pride of India, is all set to hit the theatres on 11 August 2021. Starring Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Sonakshi Sinha, the story encapsulates the heroics of hundreds of village women who stepped up for their country when it needed them the most.

But did you know the real story behind the movie?

On 8 December 1971, during the Indo-Pak War, a squadron of enemy jets dropped 14 Napalm bombs on the Indian Airforce strip. The impact damaged the runway and fighter jets could not take off. As time was ticking, the Border Security Forces (BSF) stepped in to repair it but were short of labourers. At this time, 300 people, mainly women, from Madhapur village in Bhuj stepped up to serve their country.

The women wore pale green sarees to camouflage with their surroundings and toiled day and night fixing the airstrip. Whenever the IAF sensed an enemy attack, an alarm was raised and everyone would immediately take shelter under the bushes.

On the fourth day, the airstrip was finally functional, and an IAF combat aircraft took off.

One of these brave women, Valbai Seghani recalled her experience later and said, “We were determined to ensure that our pilots flew from here. If we were to die, it would have been an honourable death.”

You can read more about it here, or watch the incredible story of these women below:

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