Na a
Pateka ‘s
co ectio
with
the
I dia
A my
took
a
ema kable
tu
du i g
the
1999
Ka gil
Wa .
The
acto ,
k ow
fo
po t ayi g
seve al
memo able
cha acte s
i
I dia
ci ema,
sought
pe missio
to
assist
soldie s
du i g
the
co flict.
He
eve tually
eceived
special
clea a ce
a d
spe t
mo e
tha
two
weeks
with
A my
pe so el
ea
the
Li e
of
Co t ol.
His
expe ie ce
with
the
a med
fo ces
had
begu
seve al
yea s
ea lie .
Na a
Pateka
u de we t
exte sive
milita y
t ai i g
while
p epa i g
fo
the
movie
‘P ahaa ‘.
That
associatio
with
the
Ma atha
Light
I fa t y
late
became
impo ta t
whe
he
equested
pe missio
to
t avel
to
the
co flict
zo e.
Na a
Pateka
wa ted
to
assist
soldie s
du i g
Ka gil
Wa
Whe
the
Ka gil
co flict
bega ,
Na a
Pateka
wa ted
to
co t ibute
beyo d
his
wo k
as
a
acto .
He
fi st
app oached
se io
A my
officials
a d
exp essed
his
desi e
to
se ve
alo gside
the
t oops.
His
equest
could
ot
be
app oved
at
that
level.
He
was
i stead
told
that
clea a ce
would
have
to
come
f om
the
Defe ce
Mi iste .
Na a
Pateka
the
co tacted
the
Defe ce
Mi iste
Geo ge
Fe a des.Du i g
his
2025
appea a ce
o
‘Kau
Ba ega
C o epati
16’,
the
acto
ecalled
the
co ve satio .
“I
k ew
ou
Defe ce
Mi iste ,
Geo ge
Fe a des
ji,
so
I
called
him,”
Na a
Pateka
said.
“Eve
he
said
it
was
impossible.”
‘P ahaa ‘
t ai i g
helped
Na a
Pateka
make
his
case
Na a
Pateka
the
explai ed
that
he
al eady
had
co side able
milita y
t ai i g.
The
acto
had
t ai ed
with
the
Ma atha
Light
I fa t y
fo
th ee
yea s
while
p epa i g
fo
the
movie
‘P ahaa ‘.
His
p evious
expe ie ce
epo tedly
cha ged
the
co ve satio .
Afte
hea i g
about
his
t ai i g,
Geo ge
Fe a des
asked
him
about
his
p efe ed
time
to
t avel
to
the
co flict
a ea.
“Whe
do
you
wa t
to
go?”
Geo ge
Fe a des
asked,
acco di g
to
Na a
Pateka ‘s
ecollectio .
Special
pe missio
was
subseque tly
g a ted.
Na a
Pateka
t avelled
to
the
co flict
zo e
i
August
1999
a d
spe t
mo e
tha
two
weeks
alo gside
A my
pe so el.
Acto
wo ked
alo gside
t oops
ea
the
LoC
Du i g
his
stay,
Na a
Pateka
expe ie ced
the
difficult
co ditio s
faced
by
soldie s.
He
suppo ted
pe so el
at
the
base
a d
also
volu tee ed
at
a
milita y
hospital.
The
acto
was
additio ally
associated
with
the
Quick
Respo se
Team.
His
i volveme t
gave
him
a
oppo tu ity
to
wit ess
milita y
ope atio s
a d
the
challe ges
faced
by
pe so el
du i g
the
co flict.
Fo
Na a
Pateka ,
the
expe ie ce
was
diffe e t
f om
po t ayi g
a
soldie
fo
a
movie.
He
was
physically
p ese t
i
a
wa
zo e
a d
lived
th ough
the
dema di g
co ditio s
alo gside
the
t oops.
Na a
Pateka
ecalled
losi g
20
kg
The
acto
spoke
about
the
physical
impact
of
his
time
ea
the
co flict
zo e.
The
dema di g
e vi o me t
esulted
i
a
sig ifica t
cha ge
i
his
weight.
“I
was
76
kg
whe
I
eached
S i aga .
By
the
time
I
came
back,
I
was
56
kg,”
Na a
Pateka
ecalled
du i g
the
show.
Despite
the
physical
st ai ,
Na a
Pateka
emembe ed
the
expe ie ce
as
deeply
fulfilli g.
His
time
with
the
A my
also
st e gthe ed
his
u de sta di g
of
the
sac ifices
made
by
soldie s.
Na a
Pateka
co ti ued
his
acti g
ca ee
Na a
Pateka
etu ed
to
ci ema
afte
his
expe ie ce
du i g
the
Ka gil
Wa .
His
ca ee
has
i cluded
seve al
movies
deali g
with
pat iotism,
co flict
a d
huma
emotio s.
His
milita y
p epa atio
fo
‘P ahaa ‘
had
al eady
give
him
fi st-ha d
exposu e
to
A my
t ai i g.
His
late
expe ie ce
du i g
the
Ka gil
co flict
took
that
co ectio
beyo d
the
movie
set.
Na a
Pateka
was
most
ece tly
see
i
‘Subedaa ‘
which
was
eleased
o
Ma ch
5,
2026.