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This
episode of Jai Jawan will be aired on New Year's eve and
this was the first time that NDTV took their satellite along with
them for direct uplinking. This episode will also mark the beginning
of a new series of Jai Jawan.
NDTV India's anchor Panjak Pachauri, who accompanies Rai to Siachen
informs that their unit took four tonnes of equipment along with
them for this shoot. This comprised five cameras, three kilometer-long
wires, satellite dish, 16 TV monitors, lights, switches... the works!
A helicopter and two army trucks were borrowed to carry the equipment
to Siachen apart from the other seven - four wheel drives, that
were required to transport the 11 crew members to the location.
Rai traveled to Siachen from Mumbai in the cockpit of the helicopter
and stayed in Siachen with the jawans for two days.
The
satellite dish that the crew carried with them was used to communicate
live with the families and friends of the soldiers who resided in
villages and towns near Haryana and Delhi. The soldiers and Rai
interacted with the families. This is the first time that NDTV carried
a satellite dish with them on Jai Jawan. One hitch although,
was that at -15° C, the satellite dish froze and kerosene stoves
had to be used to heat the satellite and get it working again. Apart
from that, a few crew members had breathing problems as a result
of which, one of them even had to be hospitalised and another two
were put on Oxygen.
Rai,
on the other hand, was her usual bubbly self and had loads of fun
with the jawans. She danced on the song 'Daiya Daiya Re' from her
movie Dil Ka Rishta and 'Nimbuda Nimbuda' from Hum Dil
De Chuke Sanam. This was probably the first ever stage show
that was done in Siachen. The sporting Rai also joined the jawans
during lunch and dinner.
Pachauri who was with her throughout said, "Aishwarya is very
sporting and has no starry airs about her. She enjoyed the food
from the army canteen and sat with the soldiers to eat. She also
performed in front of the 1000 odd jawans on two songs." The
NDTV crew carried 20 of her movie songs along with them to Siachen.
While, this episode will mark the beginning of a new series of
Jai Jawan, NDTV has already drawn out a list of stars, who
will be accompanying them to the remote areas where Indian soldiers
live a solitary life. Says Pachauri, "With the new series,
we are just pushing the border further and that makes it that much
more challenging for us."
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