>Gotitbro at 10:30, 26 January 2021

2021-01-26T10:30:59Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Calling Sehmat
| image = File:Book Cover - Calling Sehmat by Harinder Sikka.jpg
| caption = Front Cover of the book
| author = Harinder S. Sikka
| editor =
| cover_artist =
| country = India
| language = English
| genre = Spy fiction
| publisher = [[Penguin Random House|Penguin]]
| release_date = 14 May 2018
| media_type =
| pages = 256 pages
| isbn = 9780143442301
| dewey =
| congress =
| oclc = 1028623329
}}
'''''Calling Sehmat''''' is the 2008 [[Spy fiction|spy thriller]] [[novel]] written by Harinder S. Sikka based on real events. It was Sikka's [[debut novel]], first published by Konark publishers in April 2008.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/it-was-in-kargil-battlefield-how-harinder-sikka-author-of-calling-sehmat-found-the-story-of-raazi-1745959.html|title=‘It Was In Kargil Battlefield’: How Harinder Sikka, Author of Calling Sehmat, Found The Story of Raazi|work=News18|access-date=2018-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1080801/jsp/opinion/story_9622434.jsp|title=The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) {{!}} Opinion {{!}} Thriller that doesn't thrill|website=www.telegraphindia.com|access-date=2018-05-15}}</ref> A revised edition was subsequently published by [[Penguin Random House|Penguin Random House India]] in May 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://penguin.co.in/book/uncategorized/calling-sehmat/|title=Calling Sehmat - Penguin India|work=Penguin India|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Plot==
The story is set in [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] of 1971 and revolves around Sehmat Khan who is born to a Kashmiri Muslim father and a [[Hindu]] mother.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/alia-bhatt-sehmat-raazi-trailer-who-was-sehmat-khan-1208706-2018-04-10|title=Alia Bhatt as Sehmat in Raazi: Who was the real Sehmat Khan?|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2018-05-14}}</ref> Sehmat is a young college-going girl when she learns of her [[Indian independence movement|freedom-fighter]] father's impending death from [[cancer]]. As a part of his final wishes, her patriotic father convinces Sehmat to marry a Pakistani army officer, the son of his friend who is a high-ranking Pakistani army general himself. His intention is to place Sehmat as an [[Undercover operation|undercover operative]] within the Pakistani army household.

Before the actual ceremony, she is hastily provided [[Espionage|spy]] training by members of the Indian [[Espionage|intelligence]] organization [[Research and Analysis Wing|RAW]]. After marriage, Sehmat not only manages to gain confidence of her new family and their friends, but also starts to gather vital information that she passes on to her [[Agent handling|handlers]]. Eventually she comes across plans, what appear to be, to sink a key [[Indian Navy|Indian naval]] target using a [[submarine]]. At great risk to herself, she promptly manages to relay this information to her handlers who realize that the target in question is {{INS|Vikrant|R11|6}} which at that point is anchored in the [[Bay of Bengal]] as a part of India's naval strategy for the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|looming war]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thequint.com/lifestyle/books/harinder-sikka-calling-sehmat-book-review|title=Review: ‘Calling Sehmat’ Recounts How One Girl Saved INS Vikrant|work=The Quint|access-date=2018-05-15|language=en}}</ref>

They are able to provide an early warning to the [[Indian Navy]] which proves vital towards India's war effort.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/it-was-in-kargil-battlefield-how-harinder-sikka-author-of-calling-sehmat-found-the-story-of-raazi-1745959.html|title=‘It Was In Kargil Battlefield’: How Harinder Sikka, Author of Calling Sehmat, Found The Story of Raazi|work=News18|access-date=2018-05-14}}</ref> Towards the end, Sehmat is discovered but manages to escape with the help of her handlers. She ultimately returns to India, pregnant with her Pakistani husband's child. Her child goes on to grow up and join the [[Indian Army]] as an officer himself.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/That-spy-princess/article15446864.ece|title=That spy princess!|date=2008-05-03|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-05-15|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Non-fictional elements ==
{{main|Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}
According to Sikka, he stumbled upon the story during the [[Kargil War|Kargil conflict]]. He acquired the story from an [[Indian Army|Indian army]] officer who told him of how his mother, a [[Kashmiri Muslim]], had married a [[Pakistan Army|Pakistani Army]] officer to provide [[India]] with classified information during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 war]]. Sikka eventually managed to meet the officer's mother in [[Malerkotla]], Punjab where she eventually unfolded further elements of her story. As a part of her duties in Pakistan, she used to tutor [[Yahya Khan|General Yahya Khan]]'s grandchildren.

It took Sikka approximately 8 years to fictionalize the story and arrange it into a cohesive [[narrative]]. He fictionalized the name of the main character in order to keep her anonymous. During a recent interview, he has said that the real woman behind the character has since died. As a tribute to her, Sikka formally launched the book aboard Vikrant, which was docked at [[Bombay Dockyard|Naval dockyard]] in [[Mumbai]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/That-spy-princess/article15446864.ece|title=That spy princess!|date=2008-05-03|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-05-15|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1080801/jsp/opinion/story_9622434.jsp|title=The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) {{!}} Opinion {{!}} Thriller that doesn't thrill|website=www.telegraphindia.com|access-date=2018-05-15}}</ref>

The book was re-published by Penguin India in a new format in March 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://penguin.co.in/book/uncategorized/calling-sehmat/|title=Calling Sehmat - Penguin India|work=Penguin India|access-date=2018-05-15|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Hindi version ==

A Hindi version of the book was published on 23 Aug 2019.<ref>[https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/photo/janhvi-kapoor-stuns-in-saree-at-calling-sehmat-hindi-book-launch-has-alia-bhatt-seen-these-pics-1591052-2019-08-24]</ref>

== Film adaptation==
{{Main|Raazi}}
In 2018, the novel was adapted into a Hindi-language spy thriller with change in the ending contrary to the book titled ''Raazi''. It starred [[Alia Bhatt]] in the role of Sehmat and [[Vicky Kaushal]] in that of her husband. The film was directed by [[Meghna Gulzar]] and produced by [[Vineet Jain]], [[Karan Johar]], Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under the banner of [[Dharma Productions]].

== See also ==
* [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
* [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{OL book|27951635M}}
*{{LibraryThing work|21790592}}
*[https://penguin.co.in/book_author/harinder-sikka/ Calling Sehmat] at [[Penguin India]]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:English-language books]]
[[Category:2008 novels]]
[[Category:Spy novels]]
[[Category:Indian novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:India–Pakistan relations in popular culture]]
[[Category:Research and Analysis Wing in fiction]]
[[Category:2008 Indian novels]]
[[Category:Military of Pakistan in fiction]]
[[Category:Thriller novels]]
[[Category:Novels set in Pakistan]]

Calling Sehmat - Revision history

>Gotitbro at 10:30, 26 January 2021