Celina Jaitly’s tribute to the army
She’s absolutely gorgeous – a Bollywood star, beauty queen, UN Equality Champion, and a proud Indian but above all, Celina Jaitly is a soldier’s daughter. A fourth-generation #fauji, born in a Command Hospital and raised across cantonments all over India, Celina carries the olive-green legacy in her blood – her Grandfather was Colonel E Francis Rajputana Rifles, her father Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly (SM) while her brother Vikrant Jaitly whom she calls Supertrooper Jets is serving in the army.
So while the world knows her as the OG ‘No Entry’ girl or Miss India 2001 and Miss Universe runner-up, her truest, most personal identity is deeply rooted in her Army upbringing, a life marked by courage, sacrifice, and the unseen strength of the families left behind.
Now based in Austria and Dubai with her supportive entrepreneur and hotelier husband Peter Haag and their three sons, whom she’s raising with strong Indo-Austrian values, Celina remains fiercely connected to her roots. In this deeply moving conversation with Sumita Chakraborty, Editor-in-Chief, TheGlitz, she opens her heart like never before… recounting the day she visited her brother’s elite Para SF unit in Kashmir, the haunting silence of waiting mothers, and the untold emotional wars every armed forces family fights. This isn’t just a tribute, it’s a love letter to the Indian Army, seen through the eyes of a daughter who has lived its every heartbeat.
Over To Celina Jaitly & The Indian Army
“A very special chapter of my life unfolded when years ago I visited my brother’s unit in the Kashmir valley. Despite being a fourth-generation Army daughter, born at a Command Hospital and raised amidst the olive greens across India, nothing quite prepared me for the experience of visiting the elite Para SF.
I didn’t even recognize my own brother at first — three months deep into a mission, his hair long, a thick beard masking the familiar face I’d known all my life.
“Another officer quietly shared how they survive off the land, how every mission is planned knowing it could be their last. They leave behind their final letters before stepping out, a silent ritual of bravery that few can fathom.
“One officer, who was later martyred during a mission, smiled and recounted his story. He had blood pricks on his face and neck as the RMO had just removed ticks that had infested his skin — as if it was just another ordinary day in the life of a soldier.
“I remember my mother during those times — often lost in thought, staring blankly at walls, her heart fighting battles of its own. It would take everything in me to ask, and she would softly whisper,
“I haven’t heard from Dumpy in a month… I don’t know if the last conversation we had was… the last. Chinky, I will die if something happens to him.”
Some sacrifices are unseen, unheard, felt only in the silent prayers of waiting mothers and the unspoken courage of the families left behind.
Army Legacy
Coming from four generations of armed forces, I carry a legacy forged in courage and sacrifice. My great-grandfather, CEASER RALLARAM, fought in World War I in Mesopotamia and was awarded the Kesri Hind Medal. My grandfather, Colonel E. Francis, stood tall during the 1962 Chinese aggression and the 1965 Indo-Pak war. My father, Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly, a 1971 war veteran, was severely wounded at just 21. His body was embedded with shrapnel, his leg ripped apart by bullets. He was awarded two Wound Medals and later honoured with the Sena Medal for bravery during counter-insurgency operations.
My brother, a former Special Forces officer of the elite Para Regiment, has also served with distinction.
…No amount of songs, salutes, or tributes can ever compensate for all that our armed forces endure and sacrifice. Their courage comes at a price far beyond what the world can ever repay. This is just another post in honour of our armed forces… proud to be #fauji.
So do not forget the FAUJI… Do not forget your love for them as we go back to peace. Jai Hind!
