Abhinandan Varthaman | Business Upturn

IAF Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman awarded with Vir Chakra

Ayisha Farah — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 12:14:38 +0000

Indian Air Force ace pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was given the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind in an induction ceremony today. Vir Chakra is India’s third greatest wartime gallantry award right after Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.

Abhinandan Varthaman was recently elevated to the rank of Group Captain. Abhinandan Varthaman fired down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft during an airborne battle on February 27, a day after the Balakot airstrike. During the process, he crossed over Pakistan controlled Kashmir and his MiG-21 was struck, and he had to discharge over the territory regulated by Pakistan.

He was brought into custody by the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army was ordered to discharge him due to the tremendous pressure exercised by the Indian side along with international interference into the matter.

Abhinandan Varthaman was a part of the Srinagar-based 51 squadron and had crossed to prevent an aerial attack started by Pakistan on February 27, 2019. India had propelled an aerial confrontation on Pakistan’s terrorist facility under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area run by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) on February 26.

Abhinandan’s praise for the honour said he bravely battled the Pakistani aircraft package although the “immense numerical and technological superiority”, and his bold tactics “forced the enemy aircraft into tactical chaos”.

“All the enemy aircraft thereafter turned back including the rear echelon aircraft which were yet to launch their air-to-ground weapons. Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan then pursued a retreating enemy fighter bomber aircraft, and in the ensuing aerial combat, shot down an F-16 aircraft with his onboard missile,” the citation read.

IAF promotes Abhinandan Varthaman to the post of Group Captain

News Desk — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 07:44:35 +0000

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force has been promoted to Group Captain. According to sources acquainted with the situation, the officer has been cleared for promotion to the rank of Group Captain by the IAF, and Abhinandan Varthaman will be wearing his new title soon. In the Indian Army, a Group Captain is the equivalent of a colonel.

After shooting down the F-16, Abhinandan’s MiG-21 fighter plane was shot down by enemy troops, and he landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where the Pakistan Army apprehended him. The Pakistan Army was forced to release him after intense pressure from India and international intervention.

On February 27, 2019, Abhinandan, a member of the 51 squadrons based in Srinagar, swooped in to foil a Pakistani aerial strike. In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, India launched an aerial strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist facility.

Following the strike, approximately two dozen fighter planes, including F-16s, took off from Pakistani bases with the intention of attacking Indian military targets. However, the Indian Air Force was prepared for such an attack and an aerial duel followed. Wing Commander Varthaman ended up shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter plane and getting hurt in the process.

Despite the fact that Wing Commander Varthaman made it out safely, he was apprehended. Imran Khan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, confirmed the capture. India urged that he be returned unconditionally and safely. The United States was involved in the officer’s release at the time. He arrived in India safely.

Vijay Deverakonda to make Bollywood debut in Abhishek Kapoor’s next?

Aakanksha Pilay — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:47:45 +0000

South superstar Vijay Deverakonda is all set to make his Bollywood debut with Abhishek Kapoor’s upcoming film based on Balakot airstrike. Deverakonda is likely to play the role of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was under Pakistan’s captive for 60 hours, as per a report by Pinkvilla.

“The untitled project on Balakot Air Strike will mostly be South superstar Vijay Deverakonda‘s big Bollywood debut. While his next film Fighter will be dubbed in Hindi and given a pan-India release, Abhishek’s directorial will be his full-fledged Hindi feature. He will play the role of Wing Commander and national hero Abhinandan Varthaman who was kept captive in Pakistan for 60 hours following the India-Pakistan standoff. When Vijay was offered the project, he expressed his interest in it. While he still has not signed on the dotted line, the COVID-19 outbreak delayed things further. Right now, the team has no clue of when to bring the film on floors,” a source revealed to Pinkvilla.

Previous year Abhishek Kapoor had announced to collaborate with T-Series and Sanjay Leela Bhansali to make a film on Pulwama attack in February where total 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The upcoming film is supposedly up to portray the same attack, the Balakot air strike by IAF and pilot Abhinandan Varthaman’s 60 hours captive in Pakistan.