Celebrating big faujis from the small screen

As India salutes Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s bravery, let's rewinds to the faujis from popular
TV shows that allowed us to experience the feats of such bravehearts...

Lt Abhimanyu Rai in Fauji (1988 )
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Rakesh Sharma, Amina Shervani
Director: RK Kapoor
Why we remember this: It was the serial that introduced Shah Rukh Khan to every Indian household. Fauji was about a batch of trainees in a commando school — their daily drill and eventual induction as soldiers. Shah Rukh Khan as Lt Abhimanyu Rai — a bright, young and naughty trainee — was brilliant from the word go. No doubt SRK became an overnight sensation and his character gained instant popularity due to its charm and peppiness with which he essayed the role.

Flt Lt Vikram Kocchar in Saara Akaash (2003)
Cast: Shakti Anand, Sai Deodhar, Manish Goel, Manav Gohil, Kiran Kumar, Sonal Sehgal, Parmeet Sethi and Anuj Saxena
Director: Guroudev Bhalla
Why we remember this: With air force as the backdrop, the plot revolved around five pilots, their aspirations and dreams higher than the sky. The story also touched upon emotions like love, friendship, heartbreak and the determination to serve the country. The audience loved the on-screen
chemistry between Shakti Anand as Flight Lieutenant Vikram Kocchar and Sai Deodhar as Flight Lieutenant Monica Singh. Interestingly, their real-life romance was much quicker than the reel one. And the couple tied the knot soon after.

Commandant Vikram Rajpoot in Sea Hawks (1997)
Cast: Vijay Raj, Niki Walia, Madhavan, Om Puri, Simone Singh, Milind Soman and Anup Soni
Director: Anubhav Sinha/ Shivam Nair
Why we remember this: With actors like Milind Soman as Commandant Vikram Rajpoot and
R Madhavan as Deputy Commandant Preet in the lead, what more could you ask for? It was perhaps the only TV action-drama series to be shot on land, air and water in various locations of Mumbai, Goa, Daman and Mauritius. The show gave us a great insight into the lives of navy commanders. While Milind charmed the audience with his Greek God looks and smile, R Madhavan held his own as a smart and charismatic navy officer.

Wing Commander Abhimanyu Adhikari in Chhoona Hai Aasmaan (2007)
Cast: Iqbal Khan, Janvi Chheda, Manish Paul, Vaani Sharma, Vivan Bhatena, Aparna Kumar, Narendra Jha and Shakti Singh
Director: Pawan Kaul
Why we remember this: This show gave us another handsome wing commander Abhimanyu in the form of Iqbal Khan. His chemistry with Janvi Chheda, who essayed the role of Flt Lt Sameera Singh, was the highlight of the show, among other things. The plot revolved around six Indian Air Force officers, whose duty was to save the country from terrorist attacks.

Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat in Left Right Left (2006)
Cast: Shweta Salve, Rajeev Khandelwal, Kunal Karan Kapoor, Sanya Irani, Harshad Chopda and Arjun Bijlani
Director: Tony Singh and Deeya Singh
Why we remember this: A thrilling drama that revolved around six confused cadets in the military academy, the show offered the audience a break from the regular saas-bahu sagas. The serial started off as a story of revenge, where a sister joins the academy to find out who framed her brother. Telly heartthrob Rajeev Khandelwal as Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat was an ultimate delight to watch on screen. Shveta Salve as the sultry psychiatrist added the right dose of glamour. Priyanka Bassi as Cadet Naina Singh Ahluwalia and Vikas Manaktala as Cadet Amardeep Hooda also grabbed attention for their on-screen chemistry.