We Must Break The Cycle of Hate, Says This Shaurya Chakra Awardee

“I didn’t think I would have survived. I had lost a lot of blood.”

With these words opens the first episode of Undefeated, a web series that chronicles the real-life stories of Indian army soldiers.

The first episode, titled ‘Humanity and Courage’, narrates the story of Colonel DPK Pillay and how he came to be awarded India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Shaurya Chakra, at the age of 24.

Noreen Sodhi, producer and CEO of Paper Weight Entertainment, the team behind the series, said about Undefeated:

The first episode, which premiered on 26 January, gives the audience a glimpse into the life of Col Pillay. From bicycle rides to a visit to the local temple – it explores the different aspects of his life.

The decision to join the army, say Pillay, was “natural”. The colonel, whose grandfather and father too had served in the army, said joining the defence services was a chance to discover himself.

‘Humanity and Courage’ also looks closely at the colonel’s relationship with children. Fondly remembering the time when he got the chance to work with them in Bengaluru, he calls it “therapy”.

Col Pillay remembers another experience, of working in the North-East, which he considers one of the most beautiful regions in the country. After a comfortable, small-town life and being a student at the National Defence Academy, coming face-to-face with the insurgency in the North-East was a jarring experience for which he was unprepared, he states.

While locating militants during a mission, Col Pillay suffered injuries to his leg and spine. However, despite all the hardships he faced, he talks of breaking the cycle of hate and rejects the ‘eye-for-an-eye’ argument.

The director of the web series, Harsh Vardhan Singh, says of Col Pillay, who was incidentally his teacher at the Bangalore Military School:

The third episode of the web series comes out on 25 February. You can check out its promotional trailer below.

Sharing is caring!