Her biopic may have failed to garner attention due to an untimely release during COVID-19, but it cannot take away the achievements of this wonder woman of the Indian Air Force. The first female officer to serve in the war zone, Flt Lt (retd) Gunjan Saxena, turned debutant author with co-authors Nirvan Singh and Kirandeep Singh by releasing The Kargil Girl: An Autobiography.
When did it strike you to write a book and how did you go about it?
As the work on the motion picture was coming to an end, I got a call from one of the co-authors, Nirvan Singh, one evening. He suggested I should write the book, and though I was not sure about doing it, I agreed primarily on seeing his enthusiasm and conviction.
As work on the book began, I realised I had made the right decision. I would like to thank Nirvan and Kirandeep Singh for encouraging and supporting me all through the writing of the book, and always being extremely patient and understanding.
Was your father, who served the Indian Army, an inspiration for you to don the uniform?
A small visit to the cockpit of an airplane at the age of six or seven made me realise that I wanted to fly when I grew up. The cost of private flying back in those days was quite high, but I was always inspired by the environment in the forces, mostly because my father was an army officer too. That is why I joined the Forces.
Why IAF and not the Indian Army?
I had first appeared for IAF SSB and managed to clear it, especially for flying. My dream of flying and serving the country was getting fulfilled at the same time.
Why did you opt for short service commission and not permanent commission with IAF?
At that time, there was no permanent commission option for women officers.
How was your experience at the Air Force Academy, Dundigul? What was the reaction of the course-mates, and later, colleagues?
It was overwhelming. IAF is a very professional academy. I trained hard and I made good friends. It transformed me from a civilian to a soldier. My colleagues and seniors have always been very supportive.
You are the first female Indian Air Force (IAF) officer to serve in the war zone. How was that experience?
The experience of flying in Kargil War was full of learning. I was only trying to do my job sincerely and I believe I did that well. All sorties flown during the Kargil operations were challenging in a unique way and it is very difficult to single out any one mission. I never feared my life. It was our job to do what we were doing there. Besides, there was no time to give it any thought. We are a family of soldiers. My parents had sent both their children to war, and so they were very supportive.