The Kodava community in Karnataka’s Kodagu district has expressed dissatisfaction over the depiction of Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devaiah in the newly released film Sky Force. The character, portrayed by Veer Pahariya, was shown as a Tamilian, which the community found inaccurate. They claim that the real-life officer hailed from the Kodava community.
In an exclusive chat with Zoom, Sky Force director Abhishek Anil Kapur addressed the backlash and apologized for unintentionally offending the community. He acknowledged the concern, stating, “I’m aware of the issue. It’s possible we didn’t fully consider the sentiments of the community, as our main focus was adhering to Indian Air Force protocols.” He further explained, “We even altered the character’s name to avoid hurting anyone’s personal or family feelings, as well as their religious sentiments.”
Kapur emphasized that offending the Kodava community was never the intention, adding, “If we have done so, we deeply apologize. We took great care in getting every detail right, but if we missed something, we are truly sorry.”
The community’s objections were sparked after Tanya, a lawyer, posted a video on social media criticizing the filmmakers for misrepresenting Squadron Leader Devaiah’s heritage, particularly as Sky Force is inspired by his real-life story.
Sky Force, starring Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur, and Sara Ali Khan, revolves around India’s first airstrike on the Pakistani Sargodha airbase in 1965. The film, co-directed by Sandeep Kewlani, was released on January 24 and is expected to be one of 2025’s first Rs 100-crore hits.
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