Gunjan Saxena was an Indian Air Force officer and the first woman lieutenant who contributed significantly to the Kargil war in 1999. However, the entry of women into the battalion began in the year 2016. She was the first Indian woman IAF officer to fly in the Kargil war.

Biography

Gunjan Saxena is 44 years old. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hansraj College, Delhi University. After completing her graduation, she joined Safdarjung Flying Club in Delhi. Belonging to an army background, he decided to join the armed force even after completing his graduation. In one of her interviews, Gunjan revealed that when she was five, she saw the fighter plane for the first time. At the same time, he decided to join the Airforce. She is then the first woman to join an IAF trainee pilot. After some time, Gunjan passed the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) examination and joined the Indian Air Force as a pilot.

Gunjan
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Personal life

Gunjan Saxena was born into a military family. His father and brother are employed in the Indian Army. Gunjan is married to an Indian Air Force officer who is the pilot of the Indian Air Force’s Mi-17 helicopter. They also have a daughter named Pragya.

Career

In the year 1994, Gunjan joined the Indian Air Force as a female trainee. Due to which he was posted in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir (Himachal Pradesh). Gunjan then, along with his associate Lt Srividya Rajan, played a key role in the Kargil war between India and Pakistan in the year 1999. He had major operations of Indian Army, Kargil War, White Sea and Victory. Gunjan supervised the Pakistani Army in Operation Vijay. In June 1999, Gunjan represented a pilot in the Indian Air Force at the Battle of Kargil. Gunjan worked to rescue his fellow wounded soldiers in the Battle of Kargil. Gunjan Saxena was awarded the Shaurya Veer Award for outstanding work during the Kargil War, becoming the first woman to receive the award.

Interesting Fact

  • While performing his duties in the Kargil War, Gunjan killed Pakistani soldiers with the help of a helicopter.
  • She is known as Kargil Girl.
  • According to sources, a biopic is being made on Gunjan Saxena in the film world, in which Janhvi Kapoor played the role of Gunjan.
  • Currently, Gunjan is living in Jamnagar with her family as a homemaker.

For Gunjan Saxena The Kargil Girl, Janhvi Kapoor has stepped into the shoes of IAF pilot Gunjan Saxena.

Gunjan Saxena made history when she flew into a combat zone during the Kargil War and evacuated injured soldiers from Kargil in 1999. Despite facing fire, Gunjan and lieutenant Srividya Rajan, managed to bring the soldiers home. For her courage, Gunjan was bestowed with the Shaurya Chakra.

Sharing another poster of Gunjan Saxena The Kargil Girl, Karan wrote, “With unabashed courage & bravery, she made her domain in a man’s world. Gunjan Saxena – #TheKargilGirl, releasing on 13th March, 2020.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020)