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Filmmaker Farhan Akhtar Shares Emotional Story Behind Iconic Film Lakshya
16 Nov
Summary
- Farhan Akhtar reflects on real-life inspiration for 2004 war drama Lakshya
- Lakshya was made around the time of Operation Vijay in 1999
- Akhtar's father visited Kargil in 2001 and was told fewer young people were applying to join the Indian Army
In a special episode of Indian Idol 16 celebrating his 25-year career, acclaimed filmmaker Farhan Akhtar reflects on the real-life inspiration behind his 2004 war drama Lakshya. During the episode, Akhtar shares the thought process that shaped one of his most significant films.
Akhtar explains that Lakshya was made around the time of Operation Vijay in 1999. He notes that his father visited Kargil in 2001 and was told by an army officer that "very few young people apply to become officers" anymore, as it no longer feels like a viable career option. This conversation with the officer, who praised the Indian Army's achievements in the Kargil conflict, became the seed for Akhtar to write a story "to inspire young people to join the Indian Army."
The filmmaker further reveals that this experience influenced the choices he made in subsequent projects like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and 120 Bahadur, as he felt cinema has the power to "send a message: respect your freedom. Love it. And never forget the price at which it came."
