Tejas (film)

Tejas Gill is an officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF) who trains to become a fighter pilot after the Air Force opens combat roles to women. During her training, she forms a close relationship with a civilian singer, Ekveer. Her personal life is shattered when Ekveer and members of her family are killed in a terrorist attack in Mumbai during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The trauma strengthens her resolve to serve the nation and combat terrorism.

Years later, Tejas is commissioned and rises to the rank of Wing Commander. She is assigned to a frontline fighter squadron and often flies missions alongside her colleague and co-pilot Aafia. In one operation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tejas disobeys orders to rescue a fellow officer, Vivek, from a restricted zone. Although the mission is successful, her insubordination brings her under disciplinary scrutiny from her superiors.

Meanwhile, videos surface online showing an Indian national, identified as an “engineer”, being held hostage by a terrorist organisation operating in Pakistan. Tejas recognises the captive as her former coursemate Prashant, who is working undercover under the alias “Shikhar Ali”. By closely analysing the video, Tejas discovers that Prashant is covertly transmitting his location in Morse code. She deciphers the signal and determines that he is being held in Mir Ali in the North Waziristan region.

Tejas briefs the IAF leadership, including the Air Chief, and insists that the video is not merely propaganda but a coded call for help. Intelligence further reveals that the terrorist group, led by operatives Sarqalam and Khatooni, is planning a major attack in India. Tejas and Aafia are assigned to a covert cross-border operation to locate and extract Prashant, despite the political and military risks involved.

The rescue mission involves penetrating hostile airspace and evading enemy radar and surface-to-air defences. Tejas successfully reaches the target area and coordinates the extraction of Prashant, who has been severely tortured in captivity. Before being evacuated, Prashant reveals that the terrorists are planning a large-scale suicide attack on the Ram Janmabhoomi temple complex in Ayodhya.

Armed with this intelligence, Indian security agencies intensify counter-terror operations. Tejas continues the mission to neutralise the terrorist leadership behind the plot. In the ensuing confrontation, she engages enemy forces and is instrumental in eliminating Khatooni, thereby disrupting the planned attack and preventing mass civilian casualties.

The film concludes with Tejas returning safely after the successful rescue and counter-terror operation. Though still haunted by the loss she suffered during the 26/11 attacks, she reaffirms her commitment to duty as an Indian Air Force officer, symbolising the role of women in modern combat aviation and national defence.

• Kangana Ranaut as Wing Commander Tejas Gill
• Anshul Chauhan as Squadron Leader Aafia
• Varun Mitra as Ekveer
• Rohed Khan as Sarqalam
• Ashish Vidyarthi as IAF Chief R K Panicker
• Vishak Nair as Prashant
• Kashyap Shangari as Vivek
• Sunit Tandon as Academy Teacher
• Rio Kapadia as RAW Chief
• Mohan Agashe as Prime Minister
• Mushtaq Kak as Khatooni
• Lovlesh Khaneja as Pakistani Pilot

Principal photography commenced in August 2021.^[17] Production wrapped in November 2021.^[18]

The film was endorsed by the Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Uttarakhand's CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, both belonging to Bharatiya Janta Party, on 31 October 2023 after watching it in Lucknow together with Kangana Ranaut.^[19]

Ranaut remarked that Yogi Adityanath "assured us that he would protect us and our film from all our enemies and anti-national elements and motivate the nationalists to watch and connect with it".^[19] Ranaut was criticised over using politics to influence people to watch the film.^[20]

Ranaut also visited the Israeli Embassy to promote the film amid the Gaza war,^[21][22] which also drew criticism.^[23][24]

The music of the film has been composed by Shashwat Sachdev. The lyrics have been written by Kumaar, Folk-Lore and Shashwat Sachdev.^[25]