The much-awaited Mission Majnu was released on January 20, 2023 on Netflix and has been buzzing among fans due to its 'real' story-line, Starring Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles, Mission Majnu is a spy thriller that revolves around R&AW agent named Amandeep Ajitpal Singh who has been living in Pakistan for many years under the disguise of Tariq. Directed by Shantanu Bagchi, Mission Majnu explores the events that transformed the politics between India and its neighboring nation especially Pakistan in the 1970s. The movie also casts Kumud Mishra, Mir Sarwar, Parmeet Sethi, Sharib Hashmi, and Zakir Hussain in pivot roles. For those who have already watched the movie, Sidharth Malhotra's character Amandeep Ajitpal Singh matches with the current National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. For the unversed, NSA Ajit Doval stayed in Pakistan for 7 years as a spy including the 1970s tenure. Now, the question arises whether Mission Majnu's agent Amandeep Ajitpal Singh's character is based on Ajit Doval or not.
The answer is no. While Ajit Doval indeed lived in Pakistan for many years the makers of Mission Majnu have not revealed that the movie is based on the life of the National Security Advisor of India. Going by the storyline, it can be said that Sidharth Malhotra's character of Agent Amandeep Singh is roughly based on NSA Ajit Doval. Like agent Amandeep, Ajit Doval too lived in Pakistan as an Indian spy in disguise. However, whether Doval was in Pakistan when RAW agents unearthed Pakistan's nuclear facility, is not known. Multiple reports suggest that RAW agents could have unearthed Pakistan's nuclear facility, however, (then) India's Prime Minister Morarji Desai's blunder resulted in the massacre of 100s of R&AW agents in Pakistan.
As per reports, on a call with Zia Ul haq, (then) Pakistani Army chief, Morarji Desai told him that we have information from his own people working in Pakistan that they were doing nuclear experiments and tests in Sialkot, This baffled Pakistan's Army Chief who then ordered ISI to find Indian spies and as a result 100s of R&AW assets were allegedly tortured to death and Pakistan successfully tested the nuclear which it uses to threaten India even today.
R&AW and Moraraji Desai (what the movie shows)
After India’s nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1974, Pakistan internationally condemned the actions to the extent that any further tests would be suspended. In reality, they were planning to conduct their own nuclear test to gain power. R&AW chief K.N. Rao meet Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who fully supported his mission for gaining intelligence. Rao had faith in Amandeep (in the to carry out the mission to gain intel despite reservations from the department. The reason for this is that Amandeep’s father is considered a traitor by the entire department as he sold valuable intel to Pakistan and ended up committing suicide due to the shame.
Mission Majnu True Story: Who is Agent Amandeep Ajitpal Singh & where is he now?
K.N Rao believes that this is precisely why Amandeep has the motivation to atone for the sins of his father. He was also the top cadet in the academy. For the nuclear tests, Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto recalls world-renowned scientist A.Q. Khan. Amandeep manages to infiltrate the house of an army officer as a tailor, who divulges information that the nuclear tests will be conducted near Rawalpindi. R&AW takes a blow as Indira Gandhi loses the elections and is replaced by BJP’s Morarji Desai, who thinks of R&AW as Congress’ personal spies. He cuts their budget by 50% and asks Rao to stop the mission. K.N. Rao resigns in protest, but it’s actually a distraction tactic. He orders his men to continue the mission.
Notably, something similar happened in terms of K.N Rao as well.
Now, coming to the burning question, Amandeep's character might be partially based on NSA Ajit Doval, the entire plot is not based on the National Security Advisor.