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Arun Khetarpal

In the dusty battlefields of Basantar, a 21-year-old tank commander turned the tide of war with unyielding grit.

Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, India’s youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, did not just fight; he embodied the unbreakable spirit of the Indian Army.

As the nation gears up for the December 25, 2025, release of Ikkis, a biopic starring Agastya Nanda as Khetarpal, his tale of sacrifice resonates afresh.

However, beyond the silver screen, Khetarpal’s ethos lives on in today’s soldiers, who face modern threats with the same fierce resolve.

The Unforgettable Stand At Basantar

December 16, 1971: Pakistani forces, armed with superior Patton tanks, launched a ferocious counterattack in the Shakargarh sector.

Outnumbered and under smokescreen cover, Indian defenses at Jarpal teetered on collapse.

Hearing the desperate radio call, Khetarpal, stationed nearby with his Centurion troop, raced into the fray without hesitation.

What followed was a masterclass in raw courage.

Khetarpal’s squadron shredded the first enemy wave, but as reinforcements poured in, his tank took a direct hit.

Flames licked the hull; his commander ordered withdrawal. “No, sir,” came the crackling reply.

“My gun is still working. I will not abandon my tank.”

Alone now, he charged enemy positions, overrunning infantry at pistol point and claiming 10 confirmed tank kills, the mark of a true “tank ace.”

A second shell ended his life, but not his impact.

The breakthrough was denied; the battle won.

Posthumously awarded the PVC, Khetarpal’s citation praised his “conspicuous gallantry, indomitable fighting spirit, and tenacity of purpose.”

At 21, he joined legends like Abdul Hamid, whose anti-tank heroics in 1965 echo this armored defiance.

A Legacy Etched In Stone And Screen

Khetarpal’s story transcends borders.

In a poignant 2001 meeting in Lahore, his father, Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal, encountered the Pakistani officer who fired the fatal shot, Brigadier Khwaja Mohammad Naser.

“I salute your son,” Naser said, revealing the shot only after learning of Arun’s youth and heroism. “We were both soldiers doing our duty.”

This rare wartime reconciliation underscores a universal soldier’s code: valor over enmity.

India honors him fittingly.

A bronze bust gleams at the National War Memorial’s Param Yodha Sthal in New Delhi.

His alma mater, The Lawrence School Sanawar, and NDA Khadakwasla feature memorials.

The 17th Poona Horse Regiment, his unit, immortalizes him in its traditions.

A 2021 memorial at Veer Bhoomi Park in Samba, unveiled on the war’s 50th anniversary, stands near the battleground, serving as a stone sentinel for the fallen of 1971.

Enter Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan.

With Dharmendra as the father and Jaideep Ahlawat in support, the film delves into Khetarpal’s NDA days, family bonds, and final stand, humanizing the hero amid the chaos of war.

On October 14, 2025, his 75th birth anniversary, the Ministry of Defence tweeted tributes, amplifying his flame-like legacy: “Some flames never fade.”

Tomorrow, December 4, the cast will attend a Mumbai ceremony at the Army Area, Colaba, honoring Khetarpal and living “jaanbaaz” heroes, a timely bridge between past and present.

Soldiers Like Arun: The Torchbearers Today

Khetarpal was not a lone wolf; he represents a lineage of audacious warriors.

Consider these echoes in the Indian Army:

Lance Naik Albert Ekka (1971 War): Armed with a bayonet and grenades, he single-handedly silenced machine-gun nests in the same conflict, earning PVC despite fatal wounds. Like Khetarpal, he refused to yield and saved his battalion.
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan (2008 Mumbai Attacks): In the Taj Mahal Hotel siege, he charged terrorists bare-handed, shielding commandos. His last words? “Do not come ahead; retreat.” Echoing Khetarpal’s tank stand, Unnikrishnan’s Ashok Chakra highlights urban valor.
Naib Subedar Nandu Ram (Siachen, 2016): Amid -50°C blizzards, he battled Pakistani intruders, killing several before succumbing. His posthumous MVC mirrors Khetarpal’s high-altitude grit, now amplified by drones and tech.

What unites them? Tenacity beyond orders.

In an era of hybrid warfare, drones in Ladakh, cyber threats along the LoC, these soldiers adapt Khetarpal’s ethos: lead from the front, sacrifice without fanfare.

As Ikkis spotlights, their stories are not relics; they are blueprints for resilience.

Khetarpal’s radio defiance still crackles in training halls: a reminder that true heroes are forged in fire, not fame.

As India marks its enduring mark, one truth holds: In the Army’s ranks, Arun lives on, guiding the next wave of the fearless.