New Delhi: In a viral image from the 1999 Kargil War, a missile is painted with the name Raveena Tandon. It is surrounded by a heart and an arrow piercing through it. The widely circulated photo, which should not be mistaken as a hoax, is actually a real picture from the history of the Indian armed forces; it has resurfaced again owing to the recent 26/11 (2016) type of war we intend to fight against Pakistan, namely ‘Operation Sindoor’. Not long after the latest fighting ended, Tandon herself confirmed that the name on a missile fired at Pakistani targets during the conflict was hers. This added a peculiar coda to a bitter war.
One of the reasons is that the story traces back to the Kargil War @International_India between India and Pakistan in the inhospitable mountains of Kashmir. India had demanded the return of Indian soldiers’ bodies. The Pakistan response was strange, allegedly stating that India should send Bollywood actors Raveena Tandon and Madhuri Dixit to Pakistan before handing them over. The Indian Air Force responded by firing a missile toward Pakistani positions. They mockingly wrote “From Raveena Tandon to Nawaz Sharif” and depicted as a heart-and-arrow doodle.
In an earlier interview, Tandon expressed pride to be part of this strange story. I was in Kargil to boost our soldiers’ morale, and there were many fans, she said. “Perhaps that is the reason they wrote my name on the missile.” The moment has been preserved in military law; she pointed out with photos in the proton number 26 of the event in the museum at Gulmarg and Leh. The actress, of course, responded immediately. While she never embodies the image of a foul-mouthed GOP hawk, she says, “I don’t advocate war, but we have to show strength when it comes to our country.”
The photo has sparked nostalgia and debate; the meme thanked the soldiers for their humorous pressure under pressure, while others remembered the human toll of war. Tandon honoured those in the military, saying, “Those who protect our borders put in a lot that we can never imagine; they leave families behind. No matter their beliefs, no matter their names, their blood runs red, just like ours.
And now, with renewed talks about India-Pakistan hostilities (due to ‘Operation Sindoor’) and the photo also highlighting the intensity of the Kargil War, we see an intermingling of pop culture and patriotism in the most surprising of ways. For Tandon, it’s a mark of honour, linking her to a time when India held ground.