Randeep Hooda to star in ‘Operation Khukri’, a gripping war drama based on a real-life mission

Fresh off the success of Jaat, Randeep Hooda is set to lead a high-octane war drama that explores one of the Indian Army’s most extraordinary peacekeeping operations on foreign soil. Titled Operation Khukri, the film is based on the 2000 military mission in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where 233 Indian soldiers were trapped and held hostage by rebel forces.

Randeep Hooda’s next film dives into jungle warfare, heroism, and a hostage crisis in Sierra Leone — all drawn from the Indian Army’s daring 2000 mission, Operation Khukri

The film adapts Operation Khukri: The Untold Story of the Indian Army’s Bravest Peacekeeping Mission Abroad, by Major Raj Pal Punia and Damini Punia. Randeep, alongside Rahul Mittra Films, has acquired the exclusive movie rights to the book, which chronicles the siege, survival, and heroic rescue mission in gripping detail.

In the film, Hooda will step into the shoes of Major General Raj Pal Punia — then a young Company Commander of the 14th Mechanised Infantry — who was instrumental in leading the troops through a harrowing 75-day standoff. Cut off from supplies and surrounded in the hostile terrain of Kailahun, the Indian contingent launched a daring breakout that became one of the most successful counter offensives in modern Indian military history.

Speaking of the project, Randeep said, “Operation Khukri is a story that moved me deeply. It’s not just about bullets and bravery — it’s about unbreakable resolve, camaraderie, and leadership in the face of impossible odds. To play Major General Punia is both an honour and a challenge. This mission deserves to be seen, heard, and remembered by every Indian.”

The film will blend high-stakes action with emotional depth, tracing the psychological toll of warfare and the indomitable spirit of soldiers who refused to surrender. With its unique setting — a rare military drama set in Africa — and a story grounded in real events, Operation Khukri promises to offer a refreshing take on the war film genre. Production details are still under wraps, but expectations are high for this ambitious project, which seeks to finally put a long-overlooked chapter of military heroism in the public eye.