Calling Sehmat, book on which Meghna Gulzar’s upcoming Raazi is based, to hit stands on 11 May

A spy film or a spy book is a common phenomenon that we come across around the world. But there are very few spy genre films and books that have a female protagonist. In Hollywood, almost every third or fourth spy film would be a woman-centric story but it was rare to find such a story in Bollywood, until now. Meghna Gulzar brings to us ‘Raazi’ an upcoming espionage drama based on Harinder Sikka’s ‘Calling Sehmat’ on May 11 th .

The author Harinder Sikka shares the story of Sehmat who during the India-Pakistan 1971 War showed great valor and determination by being an extra-ordinary spy. Sikka strongly felt that Sehmat’s story has to be known by the world as the story is inspired from real events. The book will be republished by Penguin Random House India in a new package and a new format. The book is set to come out around the same time as the release of Raazi.

The stories lead is ‘Sehmat’ who transforms from a college-going, young woman in Kashmir to a full-fledged deadly spy. She adheres to her father’s dying wish of her becoming a spy out of patriotism and passion for their country (India). She marries a Pakistani General and must regularly pass on information to the Indian Intelligence.

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Sikka was in the Indian Navy and took premature retirement in 1993 and since he has also produced a film Nanak Shah Fakir.

In the film Alia Bhatt plays the role of Sehmat, who manages to pass on the information with utmost skill and courage, till she comes across something that can destroy her country’s navy. The film and the book take us to the setting of war and show us the human side of it, which indeed is full of poignancy.