Ishaan Khatter to play Brigadier Mehta in Raja Krishna Menon’s war film Pippa

Ishaan Khatter is all set to star in producers Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur's next film Pippa (2021), to be directed by Raja Krishna Menon.

The film will narrate the lesser-known story of Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta of the 45th cavalry tank squadron, who fought in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 along with his siblings, in what is known as the Battle of Garibpur.

Pippa is adapted from the book, The Burning Chaffees, authored by Mehta himself. Ravinder Randhawa, Tanmay Mohan and Menon have worked on the adaption. 

Sharing the meaning of the title, the makers said that the Russian war tank, in which Mehta fought in is called PTl-76, and is fondly known as Pippa. 

Revealing details about the film's story, the makers said in an official statement, “In their Pippa, Balram and his tank squadron fought the riveting 48-hour-long Battle of Garibpur that laid the foundation for and influenced the outcome of the impending war in India’s favour. The film also portrays the coming-of-age of a young Mehta as well as of our nation, as both stepped up to prove themselves in a war for the liberation of another country. The battle paved the path for India’s triumph as Captain Mehta [who later went on to become a Brigader] rose to the occasion and led his troops to victory.” 

Producer Siddharth Roy Kapur added that Khatter was their first and ideal choice for this film. “Brigadier Mehta's fascinating account resonated with us deeply, and we instinctively knew that Ishaan would be ideal to play him. Ishaan’s raw, youthful energy perfectly complements Mehta’s valour and bravado. His acting chops paired with Raja’s sensitivity towards the subject, knowledge of every facet of this war and panache for large-scale action dramas, makes this all the more compelling a story for us to take to the screen!” 

Khatter is delighted to have bagged this role. “I’m exhilarated to be a part of a film of such magnitude and importance, and getting a chance to play the role of the suave and spirited tank commander Captain Balram Mehta is a true privilege. I’m honoured by the faith shown in me by Ronnie sir, Siddharth sir and Raja sir and I’m looking forward to the exciting experience of Pippa,” said the young actor .

For director Menon, who is known for helming Airlift (2016), Pippa is more than just a war film. “Pippa is a war film, but it also has an emotional core celebrating the triumph of love and humanity. The fact that there is going to be some never-seen-before tank war action is extremely thrilling to me as a filmmaker, but it’s the heroism and patriotism displayed by the young and strapping Brigadier Mehta, despite all that he was going through in his family, that really connected with me when Siddharth shared this story,” he said. 

Pippa will be released in theatres late next year.

Khatter can be currently seen in the BBC series A Suitable Boy, directed by Mira Nair, which is halfway through its run. It will be aired in India on Netflix later this year.