Sanjay Kapoor on Kargil Diwas: Talking to real soldiers during LOC: Kargil shoot was very touching

For actor Sanjay Kapoor, it was a big responsibility, donning the Armed forces uniform when he shot for LOC: Kargil (2003). Playing the role of Maj. Deepak Rampal, 17 Jat Regiment, he says that it was an exceptional experience.

“To be right there in Ladakh… the Kargil war had happened in 1999, and we shot it after two-three years. It was still fresh in everybody’s minds. We were shooting with real Army men. It was the first time I actually used a real gun. The Army gave us real shots to be fired in the field instead of blank shots. We used to go in their mess, have dinner with them,” recalls the 55-year-old.

Saif Ali Khan, who played the role of Capt. Anuj Nayyar, was a part of Kapoor’s regiment in the film, he further remembers. “There were actual soldiers with us. To learn from their experience, hear about their family, was very touching. We do read about it, and today you have everything on your fingertips. But when we shot for it, the internet was not there as much as it is today. Sitting in Mumbai or other places, we don’t know what these soldiers actually go through, the kind of sacrifices they did,” the actor gets emotional.

Kapoor, in fact, says that at the end of the shoot, the actors were more excited to click pictures with the war heroes than the other way round. And gratitude is the first emotion he felt towards the people who fought for their country in the Kargil war.

“We were there for two schedules, braving that weather. We were taking time to get acclimatised to it. I remember doing action scenes, and we would get breathless. Then you think that these people live here and it’s their daily routine. They take it in their stride with a smile. War itself is tough, and then there are the terrains and high altitude. It must have been even more tougher,” he ends.