Introduction

21 Sarfarosh – Saragarhi 1897 (Hindi: २१ सरफ़रोश – Saragarhi 1897) is an Indian historical drama television series starring Mohit Raina, Prakhar Shukla and Mukul Dev.

Outline

The show is based on the real life Battle of Saragarhi, fought between Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army and Pashtun Orakzai tribesmen.

It chronicles their lives and events that led to the brave and epic last stand of the 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikh regiment of the British Indian Army against thousands of Afghani invaders in the September of 1897.

The series is composed of 65 episodes lasting between 20 and 25 minutes each.

The Battle of Saragarhi

The Battle of Saragarhi was fought before the Tirah Campaign on 12 September 1897 between the British Raj and Afghan tribesmen.

On 12 September 1897, estimated 12,000-24,000 Orakzai and Afridi tribesmen were seen near Gogra, at Samana Suk and round Saragarhi, cutting off Fort Gulistan from Fort Lockhart.

The Afghans attacked the outpost of Saragarhi where thousands of Afghans swarmed and surrounded the fort, preparing to assault it.

The soldiers in the fort, who were all Sihks and led by Havildar Ishar Singh, chose to fight to the death, in what is considered by some military historians as one of history’s greatest last stands.

The post was recaptured two days later by another British Indian contingent.

Although it was an Afghan tactical victory, it was a British India strategic victory. The Indian soldiers fought long enough to allow reinforcements to arrive enabling a subsequent strategic victory for British India.

The 4th battalion of the Sikh Regiment of Indian Army commemorates the battle every year on 12 September, as Saragarhi Day.

Order of Merit

The 21 Sikh non-commissioned officers and soldiers who died in the Battle of Saragarhi were from the Majha region of Punjab and were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, at that time the highest gallantry award which an Indian soldier could receive.

The corresponding gallantry award was the Victoria Cross. The award is equivalent to today’s Param Vir Chakra awarded by the President of India.

Trivia

• It ran from 12 February to 11 May 2018, on Discovery Jeet.
• Netflix acquired the international broadcast rights of the series for 190 Countries.
• Indian Television Academy Awards: 2018 – Best Actor (Drama) – Mohit Raina.
• Indian Telly Awards: 2019 – Best Actor (Jury) – Mohit Raina.

Production & Filming Details

• Creator(s): Abhimanyu Singh.
• Director(s): Raj Acharya.
• Producer(s): Abhimanyu Singh.
• Cinematography: Abhishek Basu and Shanu Singh Rajput.
• Production: Contiloe Entertainment.
• Distributor(s): Discovery Communications India.
• Release Date: 12 February 2018 to 11 May 2018.
• Running Time: 20-25 minutes per episode (65 episodes in total).
• Country: India.
• Language: Hindu.