RDB makers betrayed me, says IAF pilot's mom

MUMBAI: Bollywood is hurtling on a collision course with the mother of an IAF pilot who died young. Kavita Gadgil’s son, Flight Lieutenant Abhijit Gadgil, died in Rajasthan in 2001 when his MiG-21 crashed during an exercise.

A group of Bollywood notables found in Abhijit’s story a tale gripping enough to be made into a blockbuster called Rang De Basanti. But, according to Gadgil, 55, those involved with RDB have reneged on the promises they made while seeking her support for the project. One such commitment, made by director Rakeysh Mehra, was to facilitate the film’s screening in charity shows.

Gadgil said Mehra visited her on occasions to discuss the story and took away valuable papers. The director asked Gadgil not to discuss the film publicly before its release, a promised she honoured. “When Mehra briefed the media about the movie in UTV’s office, I was made to sit in another room,” Gadgil said. “When I asked for a meeting with Ronnie Screwvala, the UTV head, Mehra dodged the issue.”

Gadgil said Screwvala was present at the press conference that day. “I feel misled and cheated,” she said.

Gadgil, who recently registered the Abhijit Air Safety Foundation (AASF), has been gathering funds for the Rs2 crore National Pilot Memorial Institute in Sinhagad, Pune. The facility, dedicated to IAF pilots, provided the stage for RDB’s theme.

Gadgil not only wants acknowledgment from the producers but also funds to complete work on the memorial. 

“Mehra wants the IAF’s endorsement to propel his commercial product onto the international stage,” Gadgil said. “But what is he prepared to give in return to the services? Or to the defence forces’ pilots, whose supreme sacrifices he has so effectively used?”

Over the past six months, Gadgil has written to key people connected with RDB - Mehra, lead actor Aamir Khan, and producers UTV. She has not secured any redress so far. “Aamir went out of his way to support the Narmada Bachao Andolan but failed to respond to a cause in which he was involved as an actor,” Gadgil said.

Despite repeated attempts, Khan and Mehra remained unavailable for comment. Screwvala’s office said he would not like to comment on the issue.

Gadgil remains defiant. “The RDB makers must give due credit to AASF, which inspired the movie and took it to such great heights.”

Gadgil’s husband Anil, 59, has taken a break from his career as a test pilot to pursue AASF dream. The couple has contributed Rs60 lakh to the foundation.