Actor Madhavan salutes TCS techie-turned Indian Air Force female pilot Bhawana Kanth, India's first woman 'Top Gun'

It is never a boring day when R Madhavan decides to post something on social media. The actor, who will next be seen in the Tamil biographical drama GDN, playing the role of the legendary self-taught engineer, entrepreneur, and inventor Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, has now re-shared another interesting update on his Instagram Stories. For the unversed, Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman pilot to clear the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior, an achievement that has now been lauded by the Dhurandhar 2 star.

From fighter pilot To FCL trailblazer

Bhawana Kanth’s feat is all the more extraordinary as only a handful of IAF pilots are selected for the demanding 20-week programme, which trains officers in advanced combat tactics. Back in 2021, she made history by being the first woman fighter pilot to participate in India's Republic Day parade.

Bhawana Kanth, born in Darbhanga, Bihar, was among the first 3 women commissioned as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force in 2016. The other 2 women were Vani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh. This move opened the fighter cockpit to women for the first time in India's aviation history.

Breaking barriers in India’s defence forces

Bhawana Kanth joined the fighter squadron in 2017 and completed her first solo flight on the MiG-21 Bison the next year. Later on, she transitioned to Sukhoi-30MKI, one of the IAF's most advanced fighter aircraft. In 2020, Bhawana was also conferred the Nari Shakti Puraskar on the occasion of Women's Day by the President of India.

In 2024, Bhawana Kanth attended the tri-service delegation of women officers from India visiting the World Defence Show in Riyadh. As a guest speaker, she emphasised the importance of expanding opportunities for women in the defence forces, including leadership and command roles.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ANKIT Y | News (@ankityglobal)

Madhavan’s early dream of joining army

Interestingly, Madhavan wanted to wear the Indian Army uniform long before his entry into the film industry. Despite spending his early years in the National Cadet Corps (NCC), he couldn’t pursue it for some non-negotiable reasons. His association with the NCC began during his school and college years, when his dedication and performance earned him the title of Maharashtra’s Best NCC Cadet.

The honour also opened an unusual opportunity: Madhavan was among only 8 cadets chosen to travel to England for specialised training alongside personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The experience gave Madhavan an early glimpse into military life, exposing him to rigorous training, discipline and international defence practices. Having nurtured the ambition of joining the armed forces since childhood, the overseas stint only strengthened his determination to pursue that path.

A 6-month gap changed everything

Madhavan’s dream, however, hit an unexpected roadblock when he returned to India and applied to join the Army. Despite his impressive NCC record and overseas military training, Madhavan was deemed ineligible because he exceeded the prescribed age limit by 6 months.

The rule left no room for an exception, bringing his military aspirations to an abrupt end, forcing Madhavan to reconsider the career he had envisioned for himself and eventually setting him on a completely different path towards the world of entertainment.