Gunjan Saxena and Sreevidya speak to the media | NDTV Video interview

Gunjan's side of the story

https://youtu.be/9UE4jrS2QLU

Sreevidya's side of the story

https://youtu.be/VxLF5ft5amM

I respect Sreevidya's decision of not wanting to clarify that she was the first pilot to go to war all these years because she didn't want any fame- fair point but at the same time it is completely unfair for everyone to blame the makers or Gunjan for thinking that Gunjan was the first pilot when it is very much there in the public domain and in the limca book of records. I mean Gunjan just said that even in the IAF internal exams, they asked the question about who was the first Kargil girl and the correct answer was Gunjan! Then how can you blame anyone for thinking Gunjan as the first pilot when IAF themselves believe she was the first?

Ideally if the media wasn't allowed during Sreevidya's time but was allowed during Gunjan's time who proclaimed her as the first female combat pilot to go to war, Sreevidya should've cleared the air then and there and not wait for 21 years to reveal the same. It's not just about Gunjan alone, even we are reading the wrong history then!

I hope this is a learning for all that if you see not getting the credit you deserve in front of others, the onus will ALWAYS be on you to correct it at that particular moment unless it's too late- in this case 21 years later.

This is not just about Sreevidya but it's something that's ingrained in us in this society from a long time. We think asking for credit that we rightfully deserve would make us look ambitious and opportunistic so prefer to stay silent only to have found out later on that we should've opened our mouth. Has happened with me and many people around me for so long. We need to get over this and fight for our well deserving credit.

Originally posted by: insideroutsider

I respect Sreevidya's decision of not wanting to clarify that she was the first pilot to go to war all these years because she didn't want any fame- fair point but at the same time it is completely unfair for everyone to blame the makers or Gunjan for thinking that Gunjan was the first pilot when it is very much there in the public domain and in the limca book of records. I mean Gunjan just said that even in the IAF internal exams, they asked the question about who was the first Kargil girl and the correct answer was Gunjan! Then how can you blame anyone for thinking Gunjan as the first pilot when IAF themselves believe she was the first?

Ideally if the media wasn't allowed during Sreevidya's time but was allowed during Gunjan's time who proclaimed her as the first female combat pilot to go to war, Sreevidya should've cleared the air then and there and not wait for 21 years to reveal the same. It's not just about Gunjan alone, even are reading the wrong history then!

Agreed. 👍🏼

Honestly speaking, I as an audience don’t care who the first Kargil girl is. I mean, all it matters to me is the inspiration that I draw through their lives.Other than that, all this halla gulla is creating so much confusion that I have zoned out of it long time back. But I will say this-I find Srividya going to the media after 21 years when all these years she kept quite, in a very bad taste.

The film was fantastic

Originally posted by: Aanandaa

Honestly speaking, I as an audience don’t care who the first Kargil girl is. I mean, all it matters to me is the inspiration that I draw through their lives.Other than that, all this halla gulla is creating so much confusion that I have zoned out of it long time back. But I will say this-I find Srividya going to the media after 21 years when all these years she kept quite, in a very bad taste.

Agree to this. I feel the saddest for the real Gunjan. No matter how much polite Sreevidya is in her rebuttal, it's in extremely bad taste when she said she didn't claim anything because she didn't want any fame. That thing had stuck with me since her FB post and she said the same in the interview too- making it look like Gunjan is doing everything for fame. Gunjan's whole tone in this interview has changed. She sounds way too restricted, she keeps on saying what is her fault if everyone around her declared her to be the first, she never went to war to make a record that would be a film 21 years later.

If someone I know flew before me and I am aware about it, I would clarify it then and there ,no I wasn't the first, she flew before me.

Sreevidya choosing to be silent for 21 years is cheap, Gunjan not even clarifying that she wasnt the first when she knew this very well , is classy?????

Both are great but again let's not degrade Sreevidya to glorify Gunjan or justify Gunjan Saxena movie's creative liberties that maligned others.

Not only that, her being omitted from the movie is it not a distortion of facts. How could they Gunjan flying alone, the climax was totally fictional then they omitted the existence of a co-pilot who was there with you every step of the way, in every training.

Her name is in Limca book and what not and she not once thought she should clarify .....hmmmm

If it were me, I would have acknowledged that it wasn't me but someone else.

Originally posted by: tina59

If someone I know flew before me and I am aware about it, I would clarify it then and there ,no I wasn't the first, she flew before me.

Sreevidya choosing to be silent for 21 years is cheap, Gunjan not even clarifying that she wasnt the first when she knew this very well , is classy?????

Have you even seen these interviews or are you just randomly saying things? Gunjan clearly says she didn't know who went to Srinagar before and who went after, they never flew together and that during a time like the Kargil war, the last thing on their mind was to check who went first to war so isn't aware whether she was the first pilot or Sreevidya was. She says that at the end of the war there was a media interaction after which they started projecting Gunjan as the first pilot to go to war, something that even Sreevidya confirms that media was called in Gunjan's time and not hers. So please tell me where exactly is it mentioned that Gunjan knew VERY WELL that she wasn't the first pilot? And not just Gunjan, why does even the IAF consider Gunjan to be the first pilot given they have question about her in their exams and the same is mentioned in Limca book of records and literally EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE on the public domain years before the film was announced.

I mean you yourself said in the reviews thread that you can't find anything about Sreevidya on the internet. How is it anybody's fault except for Sreevidya's irrespective of her doing it out of choice?

I never called Sreevidya cheap or called Gunjan classy. Stop adding fake adjectives that aren't even mentioned anywhere in this topic and try to write a fake narrative. Everything being discussed here is on the basis of what both these amazing woman have said in the interviews posted above. It is Sreevidya's silence that has been called 'unfair'. Where did you read words like cheap or classy?

While what they both did is of exteme importance to Indian aviation history and inspiring but at the same time if they are being unjust without reasoning that needs to be called out. Tomorrow if Gunjan is found to be talking unfairly and stripping someone of their much deserved credit, even she will be called out. Unless that happens, sorry to say the ball is still in Gunjan's court because there are enough material available on the public domain that support Gunjan being the first pilot over Sreevidya's choice of staying quiet.