‘Dimple Cheema said she knew Vikram Batra for 4 years but spent only 40 days together’: Shershaah writer

Screenwriter Sandeep Srivastava has spoken about the homework he did for his latest movie, Shershaah. The film, based on life of Param Vir Chakra awardee Vikram Batra, also showed his love story with girlfriend Dimple Cheema. It starred Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani in the lead.

In an interview, Sandeep Srivastava addressed film reviews that criticised how short Kiara’s role was in Shershaah, ‘reduced’ to simply playing Vikram’s girlfriend. The director, however, insists that he was able to capture the ‘essence’ of their relationship, considering how little time Dimple and Vikram had actually spent with each other.

Speaking to News18, Sandeep said, “When I was doing my research, and I interacted with Dimple, she said that Captain Batra and she knew each other for four years but the time they spent together was just about 40 days. I think that we have captured the essence of those 40 days, which means a lot to the wonderful lady whom I have a lot of respect. It is the essence of her feelings that is coming through the way Kiara has played the character, and that’s what’s really sticking to people. “

He added, “So I do not think there was a need to add anything. It’s just the right amount. She is a very integral part of Captain Vikram Batra’s life, you cannot tell his story without his relationship with Dimple, and without what he did in the war. I think what we have done is struck the right balance. There are also so many views, which are just the contrary and they are saying that it is a perfect blend of his personal life and his life as a soldier.”

Also read: Shershaah Vikram Batra’s twin reveals Dimple Cheema’s last words to him: ‘You’ll dance at our wedding na?’

Kiara also spoke earlier about her meeting with Dimple Cheema while she was preparing for the movie. She said Dimple told her how she was ‘moved’ by the film’s songs, when they met in Chandigarh.

Dimple was Vikram girlfriend for four years and the two were also planning to get married, before he died during the Kargil War of 1999. Vikram Batra’s parents told a leading daily recently that they, along with Dimple’s parents, tried to convince her to get married and settle down, but she ss that she wanted to live ‘with Vikram’s memories’.