Vanity vans lined up on the tarmac, and film crews with cameras waited for the perfect frame to capture MiG-21 jets roaring across the skies of Bikaner Nal Air Force Station for the shooting of the upcoming Bollywood movie Love And War. The moment marked the jet’s last operational flight ahead of its retirement next month.

The airbase doubled as a set for the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film Love and War, in which the MiG-21 will play a decisive role. The movie stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal. The plot details of the movie are still under wraps, but there are reports that it’s a love triangle set against the backdrop of war.

The history of MiG-21 fighter jets

Once described as a “rocket with wings,” the Indian Air Force’s MiG-21 fighter jets made their last operational flights at the Nal Air Force Station in Bikaner on August 18 and 19, a month before the formal retirement ceremony to be held in Chandigarh on 26 September.

Air Chief Marshal A P Singh himself flew solo sorties of the ageing supersonic jet last weekend, marking the beginning of the end of a six-decade association with the MiG-21. Wing Commander Jaideep Singh, IAF spokesperson, underscored the MiG-21’s legendary role in past wars. “The most notable was the attack on the Governor’s residence in Dhaka on 14 December 1971, which became a turning point in that war,” he said.

About Love and War

Love & War is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and stars Vicky, Ranbir and Alia. Described as a love saga in times of war, the film was rumoured to be a remake of Sangam, the classic starring Raj Kapoor, Vyjanthimala, and Rajendra Kumar. While Bhansali denied the reports, the fact that some of the filming took place at an air base in Jodhpur added fuel to them. Sangam had the two leads playing Indian Air Force pilots. Love & War is slated for release on 20 March 2026.

With inputs from PTI