First-ever celebrity expedition to Siachen Glacier
Nine celebrities on a journey of their lives to salute
the spirit of Siachen
They
fall, they rise, and they march ahead relentlessly, through extreme climatic
conditions. Siachen Glacier. The world’s 2nd longest glacier has come to represent the resilience and
fortitude of the Indian Army. It all
started in April 1981 when
the Indian Army made history by traversing the uncharted Siachen, also known as
the Third Pole.
On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of this daring expedition, Eros Now, the
leading OTT platform of Eros International Plc, announced today a ground
breaking initiative, Salute Siachen, India’s first-ever celebrity expedition to
the Siachen Glacier. The unique expedition will see nine celebrity adventurers
from different walks of life, retrace and relive that journey. The 20-day expedition flags off this
Independence Day (August 15) from
Leh, and will culminate at Kumar Post, named after Colonel Narinder
"Bull" Kumar, PVSM, KC, AVSM, MacGregor Medal, IMF Gold Medal, Padma
Shri, Arjuna Award, FRGS. Bull Kumar planted the India flag on the Siachen
Glacier in 1981 and
became the first person to scale the uncharted Siachen from its freezing snout
to its icy source.
India’s much-loved celebrities have come together to take
this arduous journey to salute the courage of our soldiers who man the posts
there in conditions of extreme adversity. Popular Bollywood actors Arjun
Rampal, Arunoday Singh, sports personalities - cricketer Rudra Pratap Singh and
hockey player Yuvraj Walmiki, TV heartthrob Rannvijay Singha along with Namrata
Gujaran, Hasan Zaidi, Shlok Sharma and Sonnalli Seygall are in this select
squad.
The celebrity participants have undergone rigorous
training and prepping for the expedition which will begin with a five-day
acclimatization trek to Stok Kangri base camp near Leh. Once geared to face the
journey ahead, they will proceed to Siachen Base Camp for the expedition to
Kumar Post. They take with them the goodwill and gratitude of an entire nation
as we join them in saluting Siachen…!
Commenting on the announcement, Rishika Lulla Singh, CEO,
Eros Digital said, “We are very excited and proud to launch this initiative on
Eros Now. We have gathered a team of notable individuals who have come on board
in support of this mission to Siachen and become ambassadors in expressing the
nation’s gratitude towards the valour of these brave soldiers. Eros Now being
the front runner in the digital landscape believes in pushing boundaries and
creating path-breaking content such as this initiative”.
Zulfiqar Khan, Business Head, Eros Now added, “Salute
Siachen is Eros Now’s landmark initiative, getting together much loved faces
from the world of Bollywood, Television and Sports, to traverse the icy
frontiers of the Siachen Glacier, giving the world a glimpse into the lives of
our real heroes at Siachen. This epic journey will be documented by the
adventurers and showcased on Eros Now.”
When asked about this expedition, Col. Kumar said, “Of
all my exploits in the mountains, this was the most pivotal one for me. For the
first time, I was leading an expedition as a soldier of the Indian Army, not
just as a mountaineer. I wasn’t just doing this for myself or my team, this was
for the entire nation. Thirty-five years later, I am very happy that civilians
from all walks of life are going to Siachen to see for themselves the hardships
our soldiers are undergoing there, and to show them that their efforts are
being appreciated by a grateful nation.”
