Comparative War Narratives: Indian Military Conflicts in Selected Nonfiction and Cinema

Shrikant Balkrishnarao Walwadkar; Tripti Kisan Karekatti

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.74000

Comparative War Narratives: Indian Military Conflicts in Selected Nonfiction and Cinema

Author(s)	Mr. Shrikant Balkrishnarao Walwadkar, Prof. Dr. Tripti Kisan Karekatti
Country	India
Abstract	War narratives constitute an essential component of cultural memory, shaping how societies interpret and remember historical conflicts. This study explores the representation of four major Indian military engagements of the late twentieth century- the Sino-Indian War of 1962, the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) intervention in Sri Lanka during the late 1980s, and the Kargil War of 1999, through a comparative analysis of nonfictional historical texts and cinematic portrayals. The study examines how war is represented in nonfictional narratives, Himalayan Blunder, Hamoodur Rahman Commission Supplementary Report, Assignment Jaffna, and Kargil: From Surprise to Victory, alongside four corresponding war cinemas, namely Haqeeqat, Children of War, Madras Cafe, and LOC: Kargil. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from war studies, media studies, and cultural memory theory, the paper compares the narrative structures, historical accuracy, ideological framing, and depiction of violence and trauma in textual and audiovisual media. The analysis demonstrates different approaches that nonfictional narratives and cinematic depictions take. The nonfictional textual narrative primarily emphasises historical documentation and political analysis, whereas cinematic representations often rely on dramatisation and emotional storytelling, adding the director’s creative freedom. Despite these differences, both forms contribute significantly to shaping the combined public memory of war. This shaped public memory shapes the future of the warring nations/parties. The study concludes that the interplay between historical documentation and cinematic imagination reveals how war is simultaneously recorded, interpreted, and develops the collective memory of the nation within its cultural discourse. Keywords: war representation, war cinema, nonfiction narratives, Indian military history, media studies, cultural memory
Keywords	Keywords: war representation, war cinema, nonfiction narratives, Indian military history, media studies, cultural memory
Field	Sociology > Linguistic / Literature
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-04-09
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.74000

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Comparative War Narratives: Indian Military Conflicts in Selected Nonfiction and Cinema

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