Actor Sunny Hinduja, known for his performances in ‘The Railway Men’, ‘Aspirants’, and more, recently paid tribute to the Indian spy Ravindra Kaushik.
Honoring a Hero
On Sunday, Sunny shared a heartfelt video on his Instagram about portraying Ravindra Kaushik in the television series ‘Adrishya’, which celebrated its 11th anniversary. The video highlights the remarkable journey of Kaushik, who began his career as a theatre artist.
In the video, Sunny expressed, “It’s been 11 years since Adrishya. I was honored to portray Ravindra Kaushik. Here is the story of THE BLACK TIGER. Ravindra Kaushik was a talented theatre artist, recruited by R&AW at age 23 for a deep cover mission. For two years, he erased his identity, learning Urdu, Islamic culture, and training as a spy. He crossed the border in 1975 as Nabi Ahmed Shakir after completing his training. His service was so exceptional that the then PM personally titled him ‘The Black Tiger’.”
The Legacy of Ravindra Kaushik
Sunny elaborated on Kaushik’s achievements, stating, “In Pakistan, he obtained an LLB and successfully infiltrated the Military Accounts Department, rising to the rank of Major. Till 1983, he sent invaluable classified military intelligence back to India. But in 1983, his cover was blown when a low-level contact, Inyat Masih, was captured and exposed him. Kaushik was arrested, brutally tortured, and sentenced to death… later commuted to life imprisonment. He spent 16 years in Pakistani prisons, secretly writing letters to his family in India. He died in Mianwali jail in 2001, an unsung hero, never publicly recognized or claimed by his country. Bringing his story to life was a true privilege.”
In his caption, Sunny emphasized the importance of Kaushik’s story, saying, “A story that every Indian should know… 11 saal ho gaye, lekin Ravindra Kaushikji ki yeh kahaani hamesha mere dil ke kareeb rahegi. ‘Adrishya’ on Epic ke uss episode mein unka kirdaar nibhana mere liye ek bada samman tha. I hope more people talk about his story and immortalize this legend. Would love to do this biopic.”