IAF objects to inaccurate donning of its uniform in Netflix movie 'AK vs AK'
New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Wednesday objected to the upcoming Anil Kapoor starrer Netflix movie 'AK vs AK', referring to what it said the "inaccurately" donned uniform of the force as well as the language used in the trailer of the film.
In their reaction, both Netflix India and Kapoor said their intention would never be to disrespect the armed forces. The film, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, also features Anurag Kashyap.
Earlier, in a tweet, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said it wants removal of certain scenes in the movie as they do not conform to the behavioural norms of those in the armed forces.
"The IAF uniform in this video is inaccurately donned & the language used is inappropriate. This does not conform to the behavioural norms of those in the Armed Forces of India. The related scenes need to be withdrawn. @NetflixIndia @anuragkashyap72," the IAF tweeted.
In its reaction, Netflix India said the film does not represent the Indian Air Force or the armed forces.
"Hon. @IAF_MCC, our intention would never be to disrespect the Armed Forces of India in any regard. AK Vs. AK is a film in which Anil Kapoor and his co-stars are playing themselves as actors," it said in a tweet.
"At no point does the film represent the Indian Air Force or our Armed Forces. We have nothing but the highest respect for the brave people protecting our nation," it added.
In the trailer, Kapoor is seen donning an untucked trademark blue full sleeve shirt of the IAF and in one of the dialogues, he uses cuss words.
In a short video posted on Twitter, Kapoor explained his position and said it was never the intention of him or the makers of the film to hurt anyone's feelings.
"It has come to my attention that the trailer of my new film AK Vs AK has offended some people as I am wearing the IAF uniform while using unparliamentary language. I would like to sincerely offer my humble apologies for unintentionally hurting anyone's sentiments," he said.
The actor also explained the context of the scenes which were objected to by the IAF.
"My character in the film is in uniform because he is an actor playing the role of an officer. When he finds out that his daughter has been kidnapped, the anger and rage he is experiencing is that of an emotionally distraught father," Kapoor said.
"It is only in the interest of remaining true to the story that my character is still wearing the uniform on his quest to find his missing daughter. It is never my intent or intent of the film makers to disrespect the IAF. I always have utmost respect and gratitude for the selfless service of all our defence personnel," he added.
While a number of people criticised the IAF for its objection to certain scenes in the trailer, many others supported it.
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
