Shershaah

Shershaah (2021) is an Indian war drama directed by Vishnuvardhan about a real soldier, and you can watch online on iFILM. At its heart is Captain Vikram Batra, whose army radio call sign — "Shershaah," the lion king — gives the film its name. Sidharth Malhotra takes on two roles: Vikram and his twin brother Vishal.

The story follows him from cadet days and a young romance with Dimple (Kiara Advani) to the freezing mountain combat above Kargil in the summer of 1999. As Indian units claw enemy-held peaks back one ridge at a time, the young captain keeps volunteering for the deadliest assignments. His line "Yeh Dil Maange More" — my heart wants more — turned into something close to a national catchphrase. The camera spares you neither the altitude nor the cold nor the cost of every meter gained.

This is the portrait of a man who died at twenty-four and was posthumously given India's highest military honor, the Param Vir Chakra. The film landed on streaming and quickly became one of the most talked-about Indian releases of its year; the patriotism runs hot, yet it's anchored in a documented life rather than slogans. It lands hardest for viewers who like war cinema built around a real, beating-heart hero. Stream Shershaah (2021) online on iFILM.