Applause Entertainment and Drishyam Films have announced a movie based on the life of Ashok Chakra awardee Major Mohit Sharma.

Titled Iftikhar, the film is an adaptation of the first chapter of Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh's book, India's Most Fearless 2: More Military Stories of Unimaginable Courage and Sacrifice, published by Penguin Random House India.

Major Mohit Sharma, who was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, infiltrated Hizbul Mujahideen under the alias of Iftikhar Bhatt. He was killed in a battle with terrorists in the Hafruda forests of Jammu and Kashmir in March 2009.

Dhrishyam Films has backed critically-acclaimed movies such as Ankhon Dekhi, Dhanak, and Masaan, while Applause Entertainment, known for series like Scam 1992 and Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, is foraying into film production with Iftikhar.

The production of the film is set to begin in September this year, with the makers eyeing an Independence Day 2022 release.