Inspired by true events, Hotstar Specials brings 1962: The War In The Hills – a tale about these soldiers who despite being outnumbered and armed with basic equipment stopped the infiltrating army in its tracks, which became one of the greatest last stands in military history. Almost 60 years ago, our soldiers stood strong to protect what truly belonged to the nation – Ladakh; a battle we continue to fight even today. This is the story of 125 Indian soldiers who fought against 3000 Chinese in a battle that changed the course of the war. Produced in partnership with Arré Studio, this 10-episode war-drama has been written by Charudutt Acharya and directed by one of Bollywood’s finest filmmakers Mahesh Manjrekar who has beautifully captured not only the war but also the personal lives of the soldiers and what they left behind in service of the nation.
Actor Sumeet Vyas portrays the role of Rakumar Yadav, a soldier in the C-Company battalion who is also a single father. Speaking about how he found out that he was going to be a father in real life while shooting for this series, actor Sumeet Vyas said, “Portraying the role of Ramkumar Yadav in 1962: The War in the Hills was a very special experience for me. My character is a soldier in the C-Company battalion, and also the single father of a boy. And it was during the shoot of this series when I found out that I was going to be a father in real life! Even though I didn’t have any past experience, playing the role of a father made me think about the kind of parent I would eventually want to be and tried to implement that in my role as well. As an actor who travels for work, I definitely understand the feeling of being away from home for long durations of time. The big coincidence was, that just like my character Ramkumar Yadav, I too am not a very expressive person in real life. I wanted my character to show the warmth that a father has for his child without being overtly expressive through words. I do believe that there is a unique connection between father and son whereby even if the father feels something and doesn’t say it, the child knows. That’s exactly what I have tried to show through my role.”
The series features an ensemble cast including Abhay Deol, Akash Thosar, Sumeet Vyas, Rohan Gandotra, Annup Sonii, Meiyang Chang, Mahie Gill, Rochelle Rao, Hemal Ingle and many more. The series has been shot in the high terrains of Ladakh and remote villages across India that gives the show a real, believable look.