Gunfighting And Killing Is Easy, What's Not Is....: Emraan Hashmi-Starrer Ground Zero's Hero Ex-BSF Officer NND Dubey (Exclusive)

Women Informers Often Loyal: Ex-BSF Officer NND Dubey

"Conducting an operation is not difficult...killing, gunfighting, and all those are like easy," Mr Dubey told me nonchalantly, completely ignoring how stunned I was hearing that until he clarified, "tracing someone after bypassing all the cold leads is what makes any mission extremely gruelling."

Reel meets real: Emraan Hashmi With Mr NND Dubey

He was of course referring to the Ghazi Baba task that took him almost one and a half years to take it to completion. As seen in the trailer, Mr Dubey was indeed called in by the higher-ups to eliminate the dreaded terrorist. "I already did my part when I was posted in Pulwama-Anantnag. So, this was my second stint here," he added.

At the time of the Ghazi Baba assignment, Mr Dubey was the second-in-command rank officer of the BSF, a pretty lauded asset for the force. Is that why he was called back? I asked and Mr Dubey chose humility over boasting about his track record. "I guess, I knew Kashmir's topography and had an expansive network of informers and sources who could give me effective leads (which may be why Mr Dubey was leading the ops)," he noted, and this is when the 62-year-old stated how cold leads can take back a mission by several miles.

"There were instances where the informers stepped back and withdrew their support. In those cases, days just got wasted. But at times, we received critical information when we least expected it. I remember I was attending an event when a burqa-clad lady just passed by and dropped a tip. Before I could spot her, she was gone!" said the now-retired man. He mused how women were largely loyal informers for him. "No lead coming from them turned cold. Men mostly played pranks, but never a woman," the bespectacled gentleman smilingly pointed out.

Don't Miss: Ground Zero Trailer: Emraan Hashmi Shouts 'Ab Prahaar Hoga,' Leads BSF's Mission To Eliminate Terrorist Mastermind

The Ghazi Baba task in August 2003 was a culmination of several such leads, some of which worked and some of which led to dead ends. Ground Zero showcases the non-stop extensive groundwork Mr Dubey and his team did before they could arrive on the D-day and kill Ghazi Baba and his aides in a fierce battle of ammunition, grenades, and other firearms.

Ghazi Baba Mission Cost Mr NND Dubey A Great Deal

Cache of ammunition the BSF team recovered from Ghazi Baba's hideout

In the 2023 mission, all the terrorists were neutralised or taken in for further interrogation, but the BSF battalion was also caught in this crossfire. The officers were ready for the collateral damage and knew they might not be able to protect all their colleagues but no amount of preparation can ready you for when you lose a dear one. BSF's only fatality was Balbir Singh and his demise in this operation was personal for Mr Dubey.

His mention makes Mr Dubey genuinely morose. "Yes, I do feel regret over his loss. I wish I could have saved him in this mission," he rued.

That day, they were the team who went to the first floor of Ghazi Baba's hideout and spotted the oddly placed mirror, which made them suspicious. They kicked it, triggering the intense bullet and grenade exchange, killing Singh in the process. He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.

Keerti Dubey, my former colleague, and Mr Dubey's daughter, once wrote about the fond memories of her Balbir bhaiya on LinkedIn. She said that she still waits for that pencil he promised to gift her just a day before he was shot dead.

"We are in touch with his family to date. His son is all grown up now," Mr Dubey shared.

Singh's demise apart, the mission cost Mr Dubey a great deal of his anatomy, too. Though his life was saved due to a medal he wore, he lost proper functioning of his right arm (a bullet hit the joint and dislodged in the pelvis) damaged his large intestine, and got a bullet nestled as a permanent tenant in his spine.

The medal that saved Mr NND Dubey's life

His wounds include 7 shots of AK-47:

• One in the right leg
• 2 in abdomen
• 2 on the right hand
• 2 on the left chest

"My right hand is shorter than my left one...part of it is blown out - see," he showed, as a dumbfounded me took a look at the same. Because of the bullet, he cannot undergo MRI, X-rays, and so many other medical tests.

"I also cannot control my urge to defecate or urinate for life. I am on an anal pouch permanently. This has been my living for the last 22 years, but I have no complaints," Mr Dubey's smile was all contented when he said this.

Can Never Hate Kashmir, Says Mr Dubey

Even though the 2003 shootout left Mr Dubey kind of half-disabled, the violence was nothing new to him. Both his tenures in Kashmir were riddled with bullets and bombs, quite literally. "Once I returned from an inspection to see my accommodation in the camp half blown away. I used to live alone then. This was a frequent occurrence for me. Even my three kids and wife got used to this chaotic environment eventually," Mr Dubey shared.

Mr NND Dubey with his family

According to him, they went to school passing Lal Chowk like all the other Kashmiri kids amidst the bloodshed, mayhem, and uncertainty. They were scared but that didn't deter them in any way. Despite what he lost (or gained), he would prefer going back to Kashmir on any given day as the picturesque place is like his second skin.

"I cannot hate Kashmir, never. It gave me an identity. It gave me stories that I can tell people and experiences that made me love life so much more," wraps up Mr Dubey, leaving this journalist feeling overwhelmed, humbled, and respectful towards all the bravehearts out there protecting our land and us.

Ground Zero, starring Emraan Hashmi, hits theatres on April 25, 2025.

Don't Miss: Adventurous Escapes: The Top Exciting Things To Experience In Kashmir

If you liked the story, please share it. For more such articles, stay tuned to HerZindagi.

Photo source: Mr NND Dubey