Shershaah writer Sandeep Srivastava didn't want the film just to tell the story of heroics of Kargil war matryr, Captain Vikram Batra. He wanted to capture the essence of the man behind the daredevil Army officer.
A small town boy from Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, Vikram Batra fell in love with Dimple Cheema, his MA English coursemate at Panjab University.
Also watch | 'Shershaah' songs 'Ranjhaa' and 'Raataan Lambiyan' are now on Billboard global charts
Shershaah writer Sandeep Srivastava felt without their love story the film would be incomplete. It is through their love story, played by Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani on screen, the film captured the horrors of war, longing and loss.
Srivastava said, that he thought Captain Vikram Batra cutting his thumb to apply sindoor on his girlfriend Dimple Cheema's forehead was ‘cooked up’. But he added that Dimple confirmed that it actually happened.
Also Watch | Vikram Chandra in conversation with Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani
In an interview, Sandeep said, that during his research he learned that Dimple knew Captain Batra for 4 years, but they spent only 40 days together. The two had planned to tie the knot, before he died.
After Vikram's death in the Kargil war, Dimple decided that she wouldn't get married, and wanted to live the rest of her life with Vikram's memories.
Directed by Vishnu Varadhan, 'Shershaah' is based on the life of Param Vir Chakra awardee Vikram Batra. He died during the Kargil War in 1999.