New Delhi, Sept. 26: Murmurs of discontent within the defence establishment were growing steadily today after the Aamir Khan-starrer Rang De Basanti was named India’s entry for an Oscar. The film that cast doubts on the Indian Air Force’s fleet of fighter aircraft will be publicised even more in the year of the air force’s platinum jubilee.

But though the air force finds it embarrassing that the Indian film industry should find Rang De fit for an Oscar, it is unlikely to press the issue lest it detract from the IAF’s celebrations during which the focus will be on operations in which it believes it has covered itself with glory.

“I have not seen the film — indeed, I have only seen three films in my life — but you know our (the IAF’s) accident rate is down to just 0.48 per cent. There was a time when accident rates were a matter of concern. But that is because the MiG 21s also make up the bulk of the fighter aircraft fleet. I cannot say that it (Rang De) cast the IAF in poor light. That was only one man’s, the director’s, perception,” the head of the western air command, Air Marshal A.K. Singh, said today on the sidelines of a function to announce the inaugural ceremony.

Most senior air force officials do not readily enter into a public discussion on the merits and demerits of the issues raised by the film. “Best of luck to the director,” said Air Marshal Singh sarcastically.

Around the time producer Ronnie Screwvala, director Rakeysh Mehra and the cast led by Aamir launch their publicity blitz in Hollywood for the Academy Award next month, the IAF will be going on overdrive with compliments to itself. The IAF and the defence establishment — in the film, a corrupt defence minister is killed — dismiss Rang De as a work of fiction.

On October 8, at Hindon airbase east of Delhi 60-year-old Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi will parachute down — to show that the force he leads is as fighting fit as him — and take the salute before a flypast of fighter and transport aircraft that will inaugurate the year-long platinum celebrations. The flypast — billed to be one of the biggest — is being hosted by the air force’s western command.

On January 10, days before the film’s release, the defence minister and the entire top brass of the military trooped into a government auditorium to vet Rang De. The film was cleared by the censors only after the defence establishment gave the nod.