Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan is all set to present his upcoming war drama Ikkis. Produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, the movie tells the story of the 21-year-old martyr Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who laid down his life for the country in the Indo-Pak 1971 war. His character in the movie will be played by Agastya Nanda.
Here’s looking back at a dramatic and emotional story about the late Arun’s father meeting the man who was responsible for his son’s death during the war.
In a remarkable encounter steeped in history, reconciliation and unspoken emotion, Brigadier Madan Lal Khetarpal (Retd) of India met his host and former adversary, Brigadier Khwaja Mohammad Naser (Retd) of Pakistan—leading to a rare confession: Naser claimed to have fired the tank shot that killed Madan Lal’s son, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal during the 1971 war.
It was the year 2001. Madan Lal Khetarpal, then 81, travelled to Pakistan to revisit his ancestral home in Sargodha, where his family had lived before the Partition. He landed in Lahore and was hosted by Naser, a former Major of Pakistan’s 13 Lancers regiment who had volunteered to guide him through his trip. The two connected via alumni networks of the military academy.
During the visit, the Indian officer was treated with hospitality. On the third evening, following the Iftar meal, the two retired brigadiers sat in the garden of Naser’s residence in Lahore. Naser broke the ice with: “Main kuchh qubool karna chahta hun, Brigadier Sahib.” (I have a confession to make, Brigadier Sir). Madan Lal, addressing his host as “beta” (son), replied: “Kahiye, beta, main sun raha hun” (Tell me, son, I am listening).
Naser disclosed his role in the 16 December 1971 counterattack during the Battle of Basantar. He told how Arun’s colour opposite him in the theatre of war had destroyed several Pakistani tanks, and that ultimately only two tanks remained – his and Arun’s – positioned just a few hundred metres apart. They fired simultaneously and both were hit. Fate, he said, determined that he would live and Arun would die.
Naser looked at Madan Lal and said: “Your son was a very brave man, Sir. He was singularly responsible for our defeat.”
When asked how he knew the tank he hit belonged to Arun Khetarpal, Naser recounted that after the war he had approached Indian troops, asked about the fate of the officer who fought so valiantly, and learnt that he had been killed in action. Only later did he connect the dots: the youth had been 21, awarded the Param Vir Chakra, and had been the same formidable foe he had faced.
For Madan Lal, the meeting was a flood of conflicting feelings—pride, grief, respect and sorrow. He later admitted he could not bring himself to tell his wife that the man hosting him was the one who had killed their son.
It is left to be seen whether Ikkis will replay this incident.
Also Read: Akshay Kumar pens heartfelt message for niece Simar Bhatia as she makes her debut in Ikkis with Agastya Nanda
* This article was originally published here
