''Dhoop'' ( Sunshine; ) is a 2003 Indian

war drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...

film directed by Ashwini Chaudhary, based on the Battle of Tiger Hill. Actress Gul Panag made her Bollywood debut with this film. The film stars Om Puri and

Revathi Asha Kelunni Nair (born 8 July 1966), better known by her stage name Revathi, is an Indian actress and director, known for her works predominantly in Tamil cinema, Tamil and Malayalam cinema - in addition to Telugu language, Telugu, Hindi and ...

and is loosely based on Captain Anuj Nayyar, MVC and his family.

Plot

The movie is based on the events surrounding the death of Honorable Capt Anuj Nayyar, MVC of 17 Jat Regiment of the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

, who was martyred in operations against

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

Army soldiers, in the southwest sector of Tiger Hill on 5 July 1999 as part of the Kargil conflict. The story of the Kapoor family in the film depicts the real events that happened in the lives of the Nayyar family. Capt Rohit Kapoor is a young officer in the 17 Jat Regiment of the Indian Army. His father Prof. Suresh Kumar Kapoor, is a professor of economics at the Delhi School of Economics. His mother Sarita Kapoor, is a librarian at the Delhi University Central Library. He is engaged to be married to Pihu Verma. The storyline of the movie takes place between 1999 and 2002, beginning with the death of Captain Kapoor while successfully defeating insurgents to capture Pt 4875 on the western side of Tiger Hill, Kargil. The news is a huge shock to his family, and the first half of the film portrays their attempts to cope with their grief. They receive messages of condolence from various high government officials as they attempt to come to terms with their loss. As compensation for the loss of their son, the government allots them a franchise for running a petrol pump. Mrs. Savita Kapoor is aghast at such an offer, and the family is not inclined to avail of this compensation. However, after a visit from Major Kaul, Capt. Kapoor's immediate senior in the Regiment, Prof. Kapoor and Pihu feel it might be a worthy site to commemorate the memory of Rohit and decide to take up the offer. Savita gets convinced by her husband, Prof. Kapoor. However, as they attempt to make this dream a reality, they encounter massive corruption and red tape at various levels of Indian bureaucracy. They are threatened and humiliated by various government officials and hooligans. However, the family perseveres in the face of immense odds and continues to struggle. The latter half of the film narrates the story of their mission.

Cast

* Om Puri as Prof Suresh Kumar Kapoor, Rohit's father *

as Savita Kapoor, Rohit's mother * Sanjay Suri as Captain Rohit Kapoor * Gul Panag as Peehu Verma, fiancée of Rohit * Yashpal Sharma as Inspector Ram Singh Mallik * Virendra Saxena as Viru Bhai * Murli Sharma as Col.Rathore * Ganesh Yadav as Murli Pandey * Gopi Desai as Rukma * Gautam Saugat as Balbir * Ashutosh Jha as Raman * Niharika as Nishi * Ehsaan Khan as Akhil Verma, Peehu's father *Paritosh Sand as Major Kaul * Rohitash Gaud as L/Nk Nihar Singh * Preeti Dayal as Naina Verma, Peehu's mother *

Neeraj Sood Neeraj Sood is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi-language films and television. He is best known for his roles in films like '' Matrubhoomi, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year'', '' Samay'' and '' Shubh Mangal Saavdhan''. Early life and e ...

as Dobriyal, clerk * Prasad Pandit as Mr Ghosh * Rajesh Mishra as Pandu *Jogi as Kalia Jr Engineer * Shirish Handa as Manav * Kuldeep Sharma as Manav's father * Raj Kanojia as Auto driver * Shagun Luthra as News reporter * Sam Bharoucha as OSD * Shakti Singh as Sameer Taman * Richa Nayyar as Sharbati

Reception

The film was not successful at box office. However, it got critical acclaim.

Inspiration

The film is an account of the inspiring struggle of Prof Nayyar and his family against entrenched systemic corruption. His dream was finally realized with the setting up of the petrol pump named 'Kargil Heights', in the Vasundhara Enclave area of

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

Prof Nayyar's struggles continued for several years, and the film serves to highlight the appalling treatment meted out to the families of courageous Indian soldiers who gave their lives in protecting the nation.

Music

Awards and nominations

Zee Cine Awards 2003

Nominated

*Best Actress in a Supporting Role -

*Best Story - Kumud Chaudhary

Screen Weekly Awards 2004

Nominated

*Best Dialogue - Kumud Chaudhary, Sanjay Chauhan *Best Story - Kumud Chaudhary *Best Supporting Actress -

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0387164, Dhoop 2003 films 2000s Hindi-language films Kargil War Indian films based on actual events Indian biographical films Films about corruption in India Films scored by Lalit Sen Indian Army in films Cultural depictions of prime ministers of India Films set in Kargil Films based on Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts Kashmir conflict in films