Sidharth Malhotra rejoices at an Andaman island being named after Captain Vikram Batra: 'Shershaah lives on forever'

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that 21 largest unnamed islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago had been named after Param Vir Chakra awardees. The naming was done on the occasion of Parakram Diwas. One of the slands was named after Kargil War hero, the late Captain Vikram Batra, whose life was immortalised in the 2021 film Shershaah.

Actor Sidharth Malhortra, who played Captain Batra in the acclaimed film, expressed his happiness at the late war hero being given this recognition. Taking to Twitter, Sidharth wrote, “The very news that an island in Andaman & Nicobar is named after our hero Capt. Vikram Batra leaves me with goosebumps.”

Captain Batra, whose code name Shershaah became popular after a TV interview during the 1999 war, was instrumental in helping the Indian Army clunch key victories in the captures of Point 5140 and Point 4875. The film on his life, directed by Vishnuvardhan, was released on Prime Video in August 2021, to critical acclaim. Talking about his association with Captain Batra, Sidharth added in his tweet, “My heart swells with pride that I was fortunate to live his role on screen. This step taken by PM @narendramodi  ensures that Shershaah lives on forever.” Prior to Shershaah, Captain Batra had been portrayed on screen by Abhishek Bachchan in the 2003 JP Dutta war film LOC: Kargil.

The very news that an island in Andaman & Nicobar is named after our hero Capt. Vikram Batra leaves me with goosebumps!

My heart swells with pride that I was fortunate to live his role on screen. This step taken by PM @narendramodi ensures that Shershaah lives on forever.

— Sidharth Malhotra (@SidMalhotra) January 23, 2023

Talking about the step to name the islands after India’s military heroes, the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement, “This step will be an everlasting tribute to our heroes, several of whom had made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.”

Sidharth was most recently seen in the Netflix film Mission Majnu, a spy thriller which opened to moxed reviews. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna and began streaming on January 20.