Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia: Every time dad tells us about Kargil war, I get goosebumps

Hindustan Times

26-07-2025

On Kargil Vijay Diwas, as the nation pays tribute to the heroes of the 1999 conflict, actor Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia talks about her father Brigadier (retd) Gurdeep Singh Ahluwalia who fought in the Kargil War and was awarded the Sena Medal for his gallantry. 'I was 4 years old. My dad at that time was posted in Jammu and Kashmir. He was serving his tenure in RR, and it was during Kargil that he also got his first gallantry award, which was a Sena Medal.' Actor Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia
Even at that young age, Nimrit could sense the tension at home, especially through her mother. 'I remember my mom was in a perpetual state, barely sleeping or resting. She was working, taking care of me and my brother, and the moment we would come back home, she would just be glued to the television," says Nimrit, adding, 'There was this one time during Kargil war that my mom hadn't heard from my dad for a couple of days. That's when my dad had revealed to her that every time he would go on an operation is when he calls before he goes. That one time, I remember my mom didn't receive a call for like 15–20 days, and she would say, 'No news is good news,' just to kind of make peace with the reality of it all.'
While Nimrit feels proud of her dad, she states how it wasn't an easy time for them as a family. She says: "It was a very difficult time, even when I think about it now. Yes, we feel proud, but I think I was too young and too naïve to even understand what it entailed. Now that I think of it, I feel it was not only a difficult phase for us as a family. When I look back, I feel extremely proud of what his contribution has been, of course, to the country and what he's done.'
When her father was awarded the Sena Medal, it brought pride, but also a painful reminder of the cost. 'Yeah, obviously when he got the Sena Medal and everything, we felt proud of him. But it's just a very bittersweet kind of a situation because whatever said and done — we lost out on so many lives — and it's just something no one wants a repeat of ever again,' shares Nimrit, adding: 'Every time someone says something like 'your father fought in the Kargil war'— it just kind of makes your heart a little fuller. Every time he tells me about those difficult times, I get goosebumps.'
While it has years since we won the Kargil war, the memories and conversations, surrounding it are talked about often in her household. 'I remember when my dad and his friends meet, everyone's just going to talk about — obviously details I can't share — but how the operation was, how it was executed. Stressful times, but they make it seem so easy. I think his story is something that I've probably heard like 10,000 times already or maybe more,' recalls Nimrit.
The 30-year-old actor is currently focusing on her acting career, but ask her if there was ever a chance of her following her father's footsteps, Nimrit says: "I remember when I was young, in school, I would keep questioning him — like, why can't I be in infantry? Why can't I go to war? I was always very curious and I wanted to join the forces myself. I even pursued a career in law. A lot of my friends ended up joining the JAG branch (Judge Advocate General's branch within the Indian Army's legal arm), and there were moments when I felt like, 'Hey, I want to join the Army, maybe be a part of the legal team if not otherwise,' but then acting happened and my father has been the strongest support system to me."