The film opens with an Indian soldier's wireless set chirping commands from a base, calling a patrol to report in while the radio operator lies dead. After attempts to locate lost patrols, Indian Army HQ in Jammu and Kashmir decides to deploy more troops. Lt. Saurabh Kalia and Lt. Amit Bharadhwaj are sent on reconnaissance patrols along the LoC. Kalia's patrol is wiped out; Bharadhwaj's suffers heavy casualties but returns. Pakistani forces shell across the LoC, targeting NH-1A. The Indian Army redeploys more troops but is beaten back by Pakistani intruders occupying peaks around Kargil and other areas. After reverses, maximum mobilization is ordered, deploying the best units, but orders from Delhi restrict crossing the LoC, leaving many battalions unaware of the threat, questioning the justification for such mobilization. The first unit deployed is the 1st battalion,
11 Gorkha Rifles (1/11 GR), who are specialists in high-altitude warfare. 1/11 GR's commanding officer is Col.
Lalit Rai, and the battalion has the charismatic and brave Lt.
Manoj Pandey leading one of its platoons. Subsequently, the 18th battalion,
The Grenadiers (18 Grenadiers), which was in the Kashmir Valley guarding against terrorist infiltration, was deployed in Kargil. Col. Khushal Thakur leads the battalion, and among the officers and soldiers are men like Lt. Col. R. Vishwanathan, Maj.
Rajesh Adhikari, Lt. Balwan Singh, Capt. Sachin Nimbalkar and Grens.
Yogendra Singh Yadav. 18 Grenadiers are followed by the 17th battalion,
Jat Regiment (17 Jat) led by Col. Umesh Singh Bawa with Capt.
Anuj Nayyar is leading one of its units. 17 Jat is followed by the 13th battalion,
Jammu & Kashmir Rifles (13 JAK Rif) commanded by Maj. turned Lt. Col.
Yogesh Kumar Joshi (Joe) with Lt.
Vikram Batra leading one of its units. Other battalions are subsequently inducted into the theatre of conflict. The
Indian Air Force launches photographic reconnaissance missions to identify the intruders. The first assault was carried out by the 1/11 GR advance platoon, led by Lt. Pandey, who first captured Yaldar village and linked up with a beleaguered and severely mauled company from the 3rd battalion,
Punjab Regiment (3 Punjab). JCOs from 3 Punjab reveal that earlier patrols from 3 Punjab and 16 Grenadiers had gone missing in the Kukarthang sector. Lt. Pandey's platoon followed the patrol paths and launched an attack on Kukarthang post, a very heavily defended enemy position supported by mortar units and artillery batteries on the Pakistani side of the LoC. The Gorkhas captured Kukarthang after taking 9 casualties. It is later revealed that the size of the infiltration was much larger than previously thought. Indian Army planners believe that approximately 3,000 members of the
Pakistan Army's
Northern Light Infantry were involved. The second battle was at the strategic
Tololing mountain, which sits astride
National Highway 1D, the main supply route for the entire northern Kashmir sector, including
Siachen and
Leh. 18 Grenadiers linked up with the severely beaten 16 Grenadiers and got the first-hand knowledge of the situation. A company from the 18 Grenadiers, led by Maj. Adhikari attacks Tololing. The company is held up midway due to heavy fog; it waits for clear weather. Intense enemy shelling occurs while the men are resting, causing panic and casualties. They try to move up the mountain but are pushed down by heavy small arms fire from intruders who are well entrenched atop the feature. Subsequent attacks from the Indians are stifled by stiff resistance, and in the absence of artillery support, Maj. Adhikari and Lt. Col. Vishwanathan are killed. 18 Grenadiers make a total of 4 attempts to recapture Tololing but are repeatedly beaten back. Meanwhile, a unit from 17 Jat led by Maj. Deepak Rampal captures a Pakistani mortar position. They subsequently liberate an important peak, but suffer casualties. Col. Bawa tasks them to capture Pt. 4850. 18 Grenadiers are relieved by the 2nd battalion,
Rajputana Rifles (2 Raj Rif), commanded by Col. Ravindranath, which moves in with an artillery battery of 110 mm field artillery and acclimatized troops. They launch a multi-pronged attack with artillery support, which succeeds but at a high cost, with Capt. Vijayant Thapar, Maj. Padmapani Acharya, Maj. Vivek Gupta and Captain Nemo were killed. All this happens while 13 JAK Rif stands by in case 2 Raj Rif fails. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force launches combat sorties (
Operation Safed Sagar) and bombs enemy positions. 13 JAK Rif is blooded at Rocky Knob, where they take the field after suffering heavy casualties. They follow it up with another victory at Point 5140, where Lt. Batra distinguishes himself by taking the south face of the peak without any casualties and is promoted to Captain. The decisive phase of the war arrives. 18 Grenadiers are assigned to take
Tiger Hill, 17 Jat to Three Pimple Complex feature, 1/11 GR to Khalubar Ridge, and 13 JAK Rif to Point 4875. After a heavy artillery barrage, 18 Grenadiers take Tiger Hill, spearheaded by a daring stealth attack by the elite Ghatak section, which includes both Grens. Yogendra Singh Yadav. However, only one member of the section, Gren. Yadav (Manoj Bajpayee) survives (despite being shot several times) to link up with the rest of the battalion. 17 Jat suffers heavy casualties with Capt. Nayyar and several others were killed and injured, but they secured the Three Pimple Complex. 1/11 GR link up with 22 Grenadiers at the base of Khalubar Ridge after braving an intense creeping barrage of artillery. Lt. Pandey somehow keeps the sagging morale of the weary unit up till the battalion begins its attack. The plans go awry when Col. Rai is injured by machine gunfire. Lt. Pandey volunteers to take out the bunkers that are holding up the attack. The machine guns are taken out, but Lt. Pandey and his platoon sergeant Hav. Bhim Bahadur is killed. The last battle is fought by 13 JAK Rif at the Bunker Complex. The unit gets split up – Capt. Batra is sent to link up with Capt. Nagappa has captured one bunker and is surrounded by the enemy. Batra links up with Nagappa but is pinned down by the heavy enemy fire. He single-handedly takes out two bunkers but is mortally wounded. 13 JAK Rif pursues the fleeing enemy to the LOC, but Lt. Col. Joe stops due to orders not to cross it. After that, the 18 Grenadiers, 8 Sikhs, and 1/11 Gorkha Rifles launch their final attack on
Tiger Hill, and they manage to capture it. 17 Jat captures Three Pimple Complex. 13 J&K Rifles capture Point 4875. 1/11 GR capture Khalubar Ridge. Finally, India declares Operation Vijay on 14 July 1999 a success. The film, however, ends on a sombre note as it shows the bodies of soldiers who are killed in action being sent home to their families, while some soldiers who survived happily reunite with their families. == Cast ==