Is 'Operation Ganga' Based On A Real Event? True Story Of India's Biggest Rescue In Mohanlal's Film
'Operation Ganga' was recently announced with a poster shared on Mohanlal's official Instagram handle. The movie is based on a real incident that happened in 2022.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleMohanlal's next film, earlier referred to as L367, has been officially titled Operation Ganga. Directed by National Award winner Vishnu Mohan and produced by Gokulam Gopalan, the big-scale drama was announced on September 5, 2026, through a poster shared on Mohanlal’s official Instagram handle.
The film is inspired by India's real-life Operation Ganga, the 2022 evacuation mission launched to rescue stranded Indians from war-hit Ukraine. Blending real incidents with cinematic storytelling, the project is already in production and is being shot across multiple countries.
Real-life rescue mission that inspired Mohanlal’s film
Operation Ganga was a major humanitarian mission undertaken by the Government of India in early 2022 to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine after the conflict with Russia escalated into a full-scale war. When Russia launched its military operation on February 24, 2022, thousands of Indians, mostly medical students, were stranded across different cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Odesa. With Ukrainian airspace closed and commercial flights suspended, the situation became extremely challenging.
Responding to the crisis, the Indian government launched Operation Ganga on February 26, 2022. The operation was coordinated by the Ministry of External Affairs with Indian missions in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries. Since direct evacuation from Ukraine was not possible, the strategy was to move Indians by road to border checkpoints in countries like Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, and then fly them back home.
Indian embassies set up help desks and transit camps at the borders to facilitate the movement. Students undertook difficult journeys lasting many hours, often in freezing temperatures and amid shelling, to reach the evacuation points. From these border nations, special flights were operated to bring them to India.
Both Indian Air Force aircraft, including C-17 Globemasters, and private airlines like Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet were deployed. The flights landed in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities, with officials receiving the returnees. The operation continued for about two weeks, with around 90 flights operated.
According to official data, over 22,500 Indian nationals and also some citizens of neighbouring countries were successfully brought back. It was one of the largest evacuation efforts carried out by India in recent years. The government also deployed four Union Ministers as special envoys to the border countries to oversee and speed up the process.
The mission was officially declared complete on March 11, 2022, after the last batch of stranded students from Sumy, who had been stuck for days without basic supplies, was safely evacuated through Poland.
Operation Ganga is being filmed in multiple countries
Mounted on a large scale, Operation Ganga is planned as a pan-Indian project with an extensive 180-day schedule. The film is being shot in multiple locations, including Georgia, with further shoots planned in Poland, Kazakhstan, Delhi, Dehradun and Kochi. Alongside Mohanlal, the cast includes Arjun Rampal, Adil Hussain, Bhagyashri Borse and Parthiban.
In an earlier interview with The New Indian Express, Vishnu Mohan clarified that while the film is inspired by true events, it is not a regular army-based film. He said that the script is based on multiple real incidents and required extensive research, including meeting people connected to the events.
Operation Ganga is backed by a top-tier technical team from across industries. Handling the cinematography is Polish DOP Miroslaw Kuba Brozek, known for his work on Pushpa: The Rise and Pushpa: The Rule. Production design is by National Award winner Rajeevan, whose recent credits include GOAT, Meiyazhagan, and Amaran. The high-octane action sequences will be choreographed by Sea Young Oh, the stunt director behind films like Kill and Dhurandhar.
Music is composed by Shashwat Sachdev, while editing is by Shameer Muhammed and sound design is by National Award-winner Bishwadeep Chatterjee. The VFX is supervised by K. V. Sanjit of Kantara fame. Adding authenticity, Squadron Leader Varlin Panwar, who has worked on Fighter and Border 2, is on board as the military advisor. The crew also includes costume designer Melvy J, makeup artist Ronex Xavier, and production controller Rinny Divakar.
What are your thoughts about Operation Ganga? Let us know.
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