Salman Khan, the superstar of Bollywood, has recently announced the title of his upcoming film with Karan Johar and Vishnuvardhan. The film, which is called The Bull, is reportedly based on a true story of a paramilitary officer who led a daring rescue mission in the Maldives in 1988.
The Bull is based on the Operation Cactus
The film is inspired by Operation Cactus, which was a military intervention by India to thwart a coup attempt by a group of Maldivian rebels and Tamil mercenaries. The coup plotters had seized control of the capital Malé and taken several hostages, including the education minister. The president of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, had requested India’s assistance to restore his government.
India responded swiftly by sending a contingent of the 50th Parachute Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Farouk Bulsara, along with the 6th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment and the 17th Parachute Field Regiment. The Indian forces air-dropped over the Malé International Airport and engaged the rebels in a fierce firefight. They managed to secure the airport, rescue the hostages, and capture the coup leaders within a few hours. The operation was hailed as a success and a demonstration of India’s regional influence and military capability.
Brigadier Farouk Bulsara, who was also known as the Bull, was the hero of the operation. He was a decorated officer who had served in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-48 and the Liberation of Goa in 1961. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for his leadership and bravery in Operation Cactus. He retired from the army in 1990 and passed away in 2005.
Shahid Kapoor was cast in the same film with same title two years back
The Bull movie has been in the news for a while in Bollywood. Interestingly, in October 2021, it was reported that Shahid Kapoor was also cast in a movie with the same title and plot. The movie, which was directed by Aditya Nimbalkar and produced by Bhushan Kumar was based on the life of Brigadier Bulsar. However, the movie faced several delays and Shahid was clueless about its shooting schedule who then finally exited out of the project.
(Also read: After Anees Bazmee Directorial, One More Shahid Kapoor Starrer Dingko Singh Biopic Shelved)
In an Interview with Pinkvilla, Shahid Kapoor had addressed the status of his project. He revealed, “Bull is not happening right now as we were not even able to start it. It was a logistical nightmare due to Covid. There are a lot of things that need to be figured out since the film warrants a certain scale. So, we got to sit down and see if it’s possible to make Bull right now, or not.”
Salman Khan and Karan Johar were roped in after Shahid Kapoor exit the project
Reportedly after Shahid quit and the project was shelved, Karan Johar picked up the project and roped in Salman Khan to play the lead.
Salman Khan will be playing the role of Brigadier Bulsara in the film. The film will be directed by Vishnuvardhan, who had previously helmed the blockbuster biopic Shershaah, based on the life of Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra.
The filming is set to start in February 2024, with the movie anticipated to be Salman’s Eid 2025 gift to his fans.
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