‘People got to know about 1967 Indo-China clashes after Paltan’s trailer released’: JP Dutta

Despite making movies on varied subjects like the caste, feudal and zamindari systems, warring royalties, and the Umrao Jaan (2006) remake, JP Dutta is best known as Bollywood’s war movie specialist for making Border (1997) and LOC Kargil (2003). The National Award-winning filmmaker, whose career spans over three decades, has revisited the genre and has completed his war trilogy with Paltan, which is backed by Zee Studios.

In the film, Dutta tells the story of Indian forces that fought Chinese aggression in 1967 and forced them back in the clashes at Nathu La and Cho La in Sikkim. In this interview, he talks about his latest release (which comes 12 years after his last outing, Umrao Jaan) and the Indian armed forces. Read on...

Having made different kinds of films, why did you choose to make Paltan?

I had promised that I would make a war trilogy. This is the third part. I’ve kept my word.

What, according to you, makes the story of 1967 Indo-China clashes so important?

When you talk of Indo-China conflicts, people only remember the one in 1962. I believe that wasn’t a ‘war’ because when one takes place, you know the enemy. Back then, the enemy chanted ‘Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai’, but they stabbed us in the back. The UN was refusing to make Communist China its member, but our then-Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, insisted on its inclusion. Keeping in mind that India was pressuring and strongly recommending China’s membership, he didn’t think they would attack us, but they did, that too without any warning.

The conflict took place 50 years ago, isn’t it a little late to tell this story now?

Not many people know about this episode. Only after Paltan’s trailer released that more Indians got to know that something like this had happened in 1967. No one spoke about it and there’s no mention of it in our history.

When you made Border and LOC Kargil, you shot at actual locations...

Since 1967, the infrastructure at Nathu La has changed. It’s a different terrain now. There’s a gate at the place where the clashes happened. So, it doesn’t match the story. But it wasn’t difficult to recreate the place in Ladakh. We share a 4000-kilometre border with China; it’s similar to how Nathu La was back then.

LOC Kargil showed how the Indo-Pak battle was fought at multiple points...

Even there, we didn’t have the advantages. The enemy was at higher points and we had to fight our way up to recapture our territory. In Paltan, the drama and emotions are almost like that in Border — of one battalion fighting the opposing army. And the clashes are eyeball-to-eyeball, like Doklam.

Even though you’ve made socially-relevant movies, your name is associated more with war films. What fascinates you about this genre?

Many such tales need to be told. People want to see all sorts of films with diverse subjects. The story of a soldier staying away from his family and sacrificing his life to guard us and so we can sit in an air-conditioned room and talk in peace makes it necessary and worth the while to tell others.

In recent years, people’s opinions about the armed forces have been on two extremes. What’s your take on this?

We don’t care about our army, unless there are floods or a natural disaster or until the enemy is at the gates. The fear comes in, we get scared and we wake up to the soldiers.

Why do you think people have this attitude?

I feel it’s because India has only experienced battles and not the two World Wars like the West has. They understand the value of a soldier, country, respect for the national flag, etc. Both the World Wars impacted the entire world, except India, though many of our people were fighting for the British Army. The attitude towards the army depends on the individual and the families. The four walls of your home are the biggest school you’ll go to. What your parents talk about, what you listen to and say as you grow up, plays a crucial role. 

What are your views on the word ‘jingoism’ being used to describe patriotic films in Bollywood?

Whoever uses this word for India needs to look up the dictionary, understand its meaning and what our country is all about. Our nation is a liberator, not an aggressor. We’ve never attacked any country in our entire history, ours is the only country that has always tried to defend itself against foreign invaders. Jingoism is not the right word for our country.

We hear the Ministry of Defense has appreciated the film and would like you to make another war movie.

Well, the MoD has liked the film. They always wish that I do well. I get a lot of respect from them and I also respect them immensely. It’s mutual.

What are you planning after Paltan?

I don’t know what’s next. I’ve registered 21 titles and every title is for a different subject. Let’s see...