Shershaah writer thought Captain Vikram Batra using blood as sindoor on Dimple Cheema’s forehead was ‘cooked up’

Shershaah writer Sandeep Srivastava has revealed that he thought Captain Vikram Batra cutting his thumb to apply sindoor (vermillion) on his girlfriend Dimple Cheema’s forehead was ‘cooked up’. He added that Dimple confirmed that the exchange actually happened.

Directed by Vishnu Varadhan, Shershaah is based on the life of Param Vir Chakra awardee Vikram Batra. He died during the Kargil War in 1999. In the film, Sidharth Malhotra played the role of Vikram Batra and Kiara Advani played the character of Dimple Cheema.

In an interview with Indian Express, Sandeep Srivastava said, “It took us time to accept that his love story did unfold like this. There is someone who’s left behind, Dimple, who’s still single. So we can’t sacrifice it…I met Dimple two-three times. We realised there are certain milestones in their love story. So the journey from one milestone to the other is where we’ve used bit of imagination and cinematic liberty.”

About the sindoor scene, he said, “The act itself is over-the-top as if from the 70s or 80s, but Dimple’s reaction of ‘kinna filmy banda mila hai mainu (My man is so filmy)’ balances it. Dimple is such a beautiful aspect to this story.”

Dimple and Vikram knew each other for four years. The two had planned to tie the knot, before he died. Speaking with News18, Sandeep had said, “When I was doing my research, and I interacted with Dimple, she said that Captain Batra and she knew each other for four years but the time they spent together was just about 40 days.”

Last month, Vikram Batra’s father Giridhar Lal Batra told a leading daily in Hindi, “Vikram had told us about Dimple and their intention of getting married. I told him that I was with them in their decision. I knew from the start that Dimple is a very respectful girl who understands relationships.”

About Dimple’s decision to remain unmarried, he had said, “After the Kargil War, we told her to get married as she has a life ahead. Her parents too told her the same thing. But she told us that she wouldn’t get married and live the rest of her life with Vikram’s memories.”

Shershaah released on August 12, and also featured Shiv Panditt, Raj Arjun, Pranay Pachauri, Himanshu Ashok Malhotra, Nikitin Dheer, Anil Charanjeett, Sahil Vaid, Shataf Figar and Pawan Chopra among many others.