Hotstar special ‘1962: The War in the Hills’ is an action drama series about the Sino-Indian war that took the nation by storm in 1962.
Based on true incidents, the story is about the battalion ‘C Company’ composed of 125 soldiers led by Major Suraj Singh. This battalion went on to pose serious challenge to the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) which had launched the attack with a much larger troop of 3000 soldiers.
The narrative for ‘1962: The War in the Hills’ begins as there are peace talks between Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai. However, the soldiers of ‘C Company’, belonging to the Rewari village in Haryana, face no difference.
The PLA continues to strike and soon surmounts to take the route through NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency). In the first attempt at defense, Major Suraj Singh surrenders due to lack of ammunition reinforcement, in order to save the lives of his soldiers.
The PLA’s aggression reaches the extreme, while the unprepared Indian Army with minimal support from the Centre, tries to fight its ground.
Does the battalion manage to hold its ground?
Here is the ‘1962: The War in the Hills’ ending explain in detail:
Major Suraj Singh leads from the front
Major Suraj Singh is injured in a shootout and is advised to take a medical leave. While his insinuations about the PLA’s route appear to be correct, he is unable to lead his battalion, since he fails the fitness test owing to his condition.
The Major’s wife Shagun Singh has been diagnosed with cancer. She refrains from informing her husband about it, not wanting to add on to his troubles.
‘C Company’ leaves for the front without their leader. Major Khattar leads them to the borders, but returns to do other duties. Certain strategic areas are blockaded by Major Khattar’s men, while Major Suraj Singh’s ‘C Company’ goes ahead without a commander.
Major Suraj Singh’s daughter stumbles upon her mother’s prescriptions to find out that she has cancer. The determined Major recovers from his injury faster than the expected interval and retakes the fitness test to pass it successfully. When he is informed about his wife’s health, he breaks down and declares that he will not go to the front.
However, Shagun assures Major Suraj Singh that she will take care of herself throughout the period of war and that they can get her operation done immediately after the Indian Army has annexed the PLA.
Major Suraj Singh travels to the front to meet his battalion, who wear turning weary and disorderly in his absence.
The last stand
The 3000 strong PLA launches attack on the ‘C Company’ at night. The battalion is handicapped by its lack of weaponry and limited number of soldiers. Led by the fierce commands of Major Suraj Singh, the soldiers turn out to be lethal for the much larger PLA led by Major Lin.
Even after the few remaining soldiers are surrounded by the PLA, Major Suraj Singh stands strong. He gets shot and falls down to breathe his last. Major Lin is moved by the dying Major Suraj Singh’s integrity and courage, and salutes him.
Nido Tana, codenamed Radar, a soldier from the battalion ‘C Company’, comes in running to the local army posts. The traumatized and battered soldier recollects the whole incident, and narrates how the ‘C Company’ successfully pushed the Chinese aback.
Rimpa, a milkmaid from the borders who often spied for the Indian Army, finds the bodies and informs the soldiers at the camp. The soldier families in Rewari are made known about the martyrdom of the soldiers, and the entire village moves into a phase of grievance.
Sepoy Kishan returns to Radha
While travelling by the edge of the borders, Rimpa notices a few Indian soldiers kept hostage at the Chinese camp. She creeps in late at night, without alarming the PLA guard, and delivers the letters to the soldiers that she had kept with her, when it was thought that all the soldiers were dead.
Sepoy Kishan reads a letter from his going-to-be bride Radha, where she writes about her pre-marital pregnancy. Meanwhile in Rewari, Radha’s parents torment her for the pregnancy demanding that she be taken to Jaipur, where her abortion would be done.
Manoj, Radha’s friend and a caring help to her parents, pledges to marry her and adopt the child she is pregnant with. Later, Manoj also tells Radha that he understands the irreplaceability of Kishan in Radha’s life. He tells her that would want to remain friends with her even after their marriage and that he is doing it only to ensure Radha’s child a future.
The bewildered soldiers at the Chinese camp make their escape. They raid PLA Major Lin’s cabin and take armaments from there. The soldiers then attack the entire camp, in a fiery shootout. Sepoy Karan loses his life.
However, Sepoy Kishan comes home to his parents and his beloved Radha.
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