When Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's father advised Mani Ratnam on his Tamil movie Kaatru Veliyidai

Pakistan PM Imran Khan, on Thursday, announced that the IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who is in custody of Pakistan Army will be released on Friday as a ''gesture of peace''. Wing Commander Varthaman was captured by the neighbouring country after an air combat. But, do you know that the air warrior belongs to a family who has a track record of serving Indian Air Force since World War 2?

After Pakistan released a video of Abhinandan, his father Air Marshal (retired) Simhakutty Varthaman, who is a decorated IAF officer said, "Thank you my friends for your concern and wishes. I thank God for his blessings, Abhi is alive, not injured, sound in mind, just look at the way he talked so bravely...a true soldier...we are so proud of him''.

Wing Commander Abhinandan's father has been honoured with Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), a military award for “most exceptional order” in peace-time service. Not only this, around two years back, when Mani Ratnam was planning to make a movie on prisoner of war, he consulted the Air Marshal. Mani Ratnam's 2017 film Kaatru Veliyidai featuring Karthi and Aditi Rao Hydari in lead roles is set in the backdrop of 1999 Kargil war and revolves around a pilot, who is a prisoner of war in Rawalpindi jail.

On a related note, when India confirmed that a pilot is missing after the faceoff with Pakistan, the neighbouring country confirmed that he is in their custody.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, spokesperson of the Pakistan Armed Forces took to Twitter to write, ''There is only one pilot under Pakistan Army’s custody. Wing Comd Abhi Nandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics''.

Soon after that, videos and pictures of Wing Commander Abhinandan started surfacing on social media. While one video shows him allegedly assaulted by the mob, in the other, he is being interrogated by Pakistani officers.