The Indian Army recently renamed one of its military firing ranges in Gulmarg (J&K) after Vidya Balan. A firing range after Vidya Balan sounds misleading and confusing. The Dirty Picture actress was not an ace shooter neither a part of the Indian Army. They cited her ‘phenomenal contribution to Indian cinema’ as the reason behind the renaming. This act of the Indian army really confused the public.
Earlier in the year, the actress and her husband Siddharth Roy Kapoor had attended the Gulmarg Winter Festival organised by the Indian Army but however, that doesn’t justify renaming the firing range, netizens aren’t too happy about it. People are disappointed that the range is named after a Bollywood actress than actual real-life heroes such as the Late Capt. Vikram Batra, and other prominent martyrs of the Indian Army. The firing range could be named after someone more appropriate. People take over social media as they are not happy about this matter. The difference between ‘reel’ and ‘real’ hero should be well acknowledged. However, Vidya has not posted anything about it yet.
Retired Capt. Amar Jeet Singh did not seem very happy about it. “Why not Capt Vikram Batra Firing Ranges. What great Vidya Balan has done great for army? The officer who has initiated her name must be taken to task. Next will be Katrina Kaif Karina Kapoor Khan & Amitabha Bachhan Fire Power Range, Akshay Kumar Drill Square”, he tweeted, showing resentment over this decision. Bollywood should be limited to their own arena.
Why not Capt Vikram Batra Firing Ranges. What Great Vidya Balan has done great for army ? The officer who has initiated her name must be taken to task. Next will be Katrina Kaif Karina Kapoor Khan & Amitabha Bachhan Fire Power Range , Akshay Kumar Drill Square
— Capt Amar Jeet Kumar (@AmarCapt) July 6, 2021
Another twitter user tweeted “reading that army has named firing range after Vidya Balan, is this true, when public has realised who the real heroes are and who are entertainers, this act of army really puzzles us”
https://twitter.com/sneha_bk/status/1412341033556348942?s=20
Major Manik M Jolly, however, has denied that the firing range has been named after the actress. According to him, a temporary welcome board was put up when she visited the site. “Maybe you know more than me, or the officers posted there or the Army itself because you want to believe media as usual which never bothers to verify. There was a temporary board put up in her name to welcome her when she went there. She made it into / firing range named after me“, he tweeted.
Maybe you know more than me, or the officers posted there or the Army itself because you want to believe media as usual which never bothers to verify. There was a temporary board put up in her name to welcome her when she went there. She made it into / firing range named after me https://t.co/hxBBOSuP3q
— Maj Manik M Jolly,SM (@Manik_M_Jolly) July 6, 2021
At the time when the public is realizing the true difference between real and reel heroes, naming an important military firing range after an actress seems to tarnish the legacy of active and past army personnel, many of them even had to sacrifice their lives for the nation. Public wrath is justified but yet it’s still unsure whether a firing range has actually been named after her or if that was a temporary post because after the public explosion on Twitter somehow the matter was twisted to peddle the narrative that it was named after her.
