As a generation that has grown up on Top Gun (1986), Bollywood movie fans have often desired a desi counterpart. Similarly, actors like the idea of fronting a story about the Indian Air Force (IAF)—from Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in Fighter, to Manushi Chhillar in the upcoming Operation Valentine. Chhillar says it was the glory of the men and women in the uniform that drew her to the Varun Tej-led action thriller, even though she was initially told the role was of an Air Force officer’s wife.

“My agent told me, ‘She is an Air Force officer’s wife waiting for him to come back home.’ As I read the script on a flight, I kept turning the pages wondering where the wife was, but she was [so much more],” laughs the leading lady, before adding, “A film centred on the air force is always about action. But Operation Valentine is also a poignant story about human relationships and the officers’ camaraderie.”