HomeStatisticsOthersArun Khetarpal Height, Weight, Age, Movie, Family, Death

Arun Khetarpal Height, Weight, Age, Movie, Family, Death

Arun Khetarpal Quick Info
Height 5 ft 9 in
Weight 72 kg
Date of Birth October 14, 1950
Zodiac Sign Libra
Date of Death December 16, 1971

Arun Khetarpal was an Indian Army officer who served as the 2nd Lieutenant in the 17 Poona Horse regiment, which fought valiantly in the crucial Battle of Basantar during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. His name has been immortalized in the history books for showing unflinching bravery in the face of death for the sake of his country. For his heroism, Khetarpal was posthumously honored with India’s highest military decoration: the Param Vir Chakra.

Born Name

Arun Khetarpal

Nick Name

Arun

Former Indian Army officer Arun Khetarpal
Former Indian Army officer Arun Khetarpal (Indian_History_Warrior / Instagram)

Age

He was born on October 14, 1950.

Died

He passed away on December 16, 1971, at the Barapind Shakargarh Sector after getting shot during the Battle of Basantar. He was 21 years old at that time.

Sun Sign

Libra

Born Place

Pune, Bombay State, India

Nationality

Indian

 

Education

Arun went to St. Columba’s School in Delhi. Furthermore, he completed his schooling from The Lawrence School located in Sanawar, Himachal Pradesh.

Occupation

Indian Army Officer

Family

  • Father – Brigadier M. L. Khetarpal (Corps of Engineers Officer in the Indian Army)
  • Siblings – Mukesh Khetarpal (Younger Brother)

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 9 in or 175 cm

Weight

72 kg or 158.5 lbs

A young Arun Khetarpal as seen posing for a picture with his family
A young Arun Khetarpal as seen posing for a picture with his family (Kasauli.info / Instagram)

Race / Ethnicity

Asian (Indian)

He was of Hindu Punjabi Khatri descent.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

  • Square-shaped face
  • His bravado

Religion

Hinduism

A statue of Arun Khetarpal as seen at the Param Yodha Sthal at the National War Memorial in New Delhi
A statue of Arun Khetarpal as seen at the Param Yodha Sthal at the National War Memorial in New Delhi (Krishna Chaitanya Velaga / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Arun Khetarpal Facts

  1. His ancestors lived in Sargodha, which is part of present-day Pakistan. However, they migrated to India as refugees after the partition in 1947.
  2. Khetarpal came from a long line of military servicemen as his grandfather had served in the British Army during World War I and his great-grandfather had served in the Sikh Khalsa Army during the 19th century.
  3. After the war, his Centurion known as the Famagusta Jx 202 was restored and it is currently displayed at the Armoured Corps Centre and School in Ahmednagar.
  4. Actor Allu Sirish’s character of Lt. Chinmay in the Malayalam film 1971: Beyond Borders (2017) was inspired by Khetarpal’s story and death during the Battle of Basantar. The film, which is set against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak War, also starred Mohanlal, Arunoday Singh, Renji Panicker, Deepak Jethi, etc. in important roles.
  5. After his death, he was honored by naming the parade ground at the National Defence Army (NDA) as Khetarpal Ground. Additionally, the auditorium at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and one of its main gates were also named after him.
  6. At the age of 81 years, his father traveled to his birthplace in Sargodha, Pakistan in March 2001. There, he stayed at the home of Brigadier Khawja Mohammad Naser, who treated him very warmly. The martyr’s father later learned from Brigadier Naser that he had fired the fatal shot that killed his son. Naser, on his part, applauded the young man’s courage even though Arun was singlehandedly responsible for destroying Naser’s squadron and played a significant role in Pakistan’s defeat in the overall war.
  7. The acclaimed director Sriram Raghavan, who has helmed films like Andhadhun (2018), Badlapur (2015), and Johnny Gaddaar (2007) is set to make a biopic on Khetarpal’s life and death. Initially, actor Varun Dhawan was attached to the project. However, it was later announced that Agastya Nanda (Amitabh Bachchan‘s grandson) would be making his debut with the film, which was titled Ikkis (meaning 21 since it is the age when Arun lost his life).

Featured Image by Indian_History_Warrior / Instagram

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