Shershaah, the much-awaited biopic on Kargil hero Captain Vikram Batra releases today. While we all know that Siddharth Malhotra plays the role of the Paramvir Chakra awardee in the movie, how much do you really know about Dimple Cheema, the woman who inspired Kiara’s character?
She’s the lady who never married after Capt. Batra was martyred in the Kargil war. Today, as the movie celebrates his spirit and valour, let’s take a look at their heart-warming love story.
Reminiscing about how the two met, Dimple Cheema told The Quint: “I met Vikram for the first time in 1995 in Punjab University in Chandigarh when we both had joined MA English. But as fate would have it, neither of us completed it. I guess it was destiny playing its part in bringing us together and becoming an integral part of each other.”
Video Credit: Kiara Advani, Instagram
A love story more romantic than a movie
Sharing an incident at the Mansa Devi temple which they used to visit frequently, she said, “It was a ritual with us to visit the Mansa Devi temple and on one such visit to the temple, while doing a parikrama, he was walking behind me. On completing the parikrama, he suddenly said, “Congratulations, Mrs Batra.” I swirled around to see him holding one end of my dupatta and he gave me the most beautiful smile and said, “Didn’t you realise that this is the fourth time that we are doing this parikrama?” The incident left Cheema totally speechless: “That was the level of dedication he had towards our relationship.”
Video Credit: Kiara Advani, Instagram
Recalling Batra’s complete Bollywood andaaz, Cheema elaborated: “On one of his visits, I raised the issue of marriage as I was feeling a bit insecure. Without saying anything, he took a blade out of his wallet, cut his thumb and filled my maang with his blood. That is the most cherished moment of my life to date. Then, later on, I used to tease him that he is pura filmy.”
Video Credit: Kiara Advani, Instagram
Their love endures even now
After Batra’s martyrdom, she chose to remain unmarried and live as his widow. She devoted her entire life to him. In the same interview, she addressed him thus: “How do I describe a lifetime of memories, though made only in four years of association? I could go on and on, and the memories would still keep coming. Not a single day in the past 17 years have I felt detached from you. It feels as if you are away on a posting. I know in my heart that we are going to meet again, it’s just a matter of time.”
If this isn’t true love, we don’t know what is. Their love story shows that some promises last an entire lifetime. Capt. Batra and Dimple Cheema personify eternal love.
Lead Image Credit: Shershaah, Dharma Productions and BCCL
