'Pippa' on Prime: History comes alive in Ishaan Khatter's war-drama
The highly-anticipated war drama, Pippa's trailer was unveiled on Wednesday, aligning with the lead actor Ishaan Khatter's birthday. The film is poised to make its debut on Amazon Prime Video on November 10, bypassing a theatrical release. Inspired by Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta's book The Burning Chaffees, the movie features Khatter as Captain Mehta from the 45th Cavalry tank squadron during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan conflict.
Why does this story matter?
When 1971 war hero Singh Mehta (retired) embarked on writing The Burning Chaffees after a regimental lunch in 2015, he never could have imagined that his book, depicting the valor and courage of tank crews during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, would be adapted into a film. The book chronicles his firsthand battle experiences. Interestingly, the decision to create a full-scale war movie was made by Siddharth Roy Kapur even before the book's launch in 2016.
'Pippa' trailer promises a riveting war drama
Directed by Raja Krishna Menon, the trailer of Pippa provides an exciting preview of a compelling war drama. Judging from the trailer, the film appears ready to narrate a story based on real-life events that had a significant impact on India's history. In a noteworthy attempt, Khatter portrays an Indian Army officer, and his performance appears promising.
Take a look at 'Pippa's trailer here
Meet the cast and crew behind 'Pippa'
Pippa is backed by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP and Roy Kapur's Roy Kapur Films. The film boasts an impressive cast including Mrunal Thakur, Priyanshu Painyuli, and Soni Razdan, with Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman providing the film's score. Notably, the film's title, Pippa, serves as a reference to the amphibious tank called the PT-76, affectionately known as Pippa, which holds a prominent role in the movie.
Explained: The unique origin of war tank Pippa
The Indian Army first encountered PT-76 aka Pippa tank after the 1965 war. During a demonstration for mostly Punjabi troops, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) stood next to a microphone and was so amazed by the tank's ability to float that he joyfully exclaimed, "Pippa tair reha ve! (Pippa is swimming!)." The microphone wasn't switched off, and the spectators burst into laughter during the formal presentation. This incident turned "Pippa" into a military term and a codeword for the Regiment.
