Female pilot’s war biopic flies into a row

A Bollywood film inspired by the life of India's first female pilot to fly in combat has been accused of showing the air force in a negative light, writes the BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi.

In the summer of 1999, as India and Pakistan traded missiles and gunfire, Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena flew repeatedly over the Line of Control, the disputed border that divides Kashmir between the two South Asian neighbours.

Conflict had erupted after Pakistani forces infiltrated into the Indian side of the de facto border and occupied icy heights in Kargil which is situated in Indian-administered Kashmir.

"I spent about 20 days in June flying a helicopter on recce missions," Flt Lt Saxena told the BBC. "My main job was to find out where enemy posts were, do battle damage assessment for the India army and evacuate casualty."

She was among the first batch of women to join the Indian air force in 1994 - the year they started inducting female transport and helicopter pilots - and among two female pilots who flew reconnaissance flights during the Kargil conflict.

I asked her if she ever felt fear with missiles and bullets flying around her in the battlefield - she once had a close shave when a missile missed her helicopter by inches.

"No, never," came the prompt reply. "It was risky, but we accepted the risk willingly."