Karan Shergill [Hrithik Roshan] is an immature, carefree young man with no clear plan for his future. His girlfriend Romi [Preity Zinta], an aspiring journalist, urges him to find a purpose in life and even nudges him toward a path with real meaning. He ultimately signs up for the Combined Defence Services Examination, and, to everyone’s surprise, earns a place at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) despite his parents’ concerns.
Karan’s first days at the IMA are rough and humbling; his lack of discipline makes him seem unfit for a military life. Overwhelmed and discouraged, he deserts the academy and goes home, leaving his parents disappointed and Romi dismayed as she ends their relationship, believing he lacks true conviction. Yet this setback becomes a turning point: he returns to the IMA, accepts the punishment, and commits to changing himself. Through hard work and persistence, he becomes a focused cadet, excels during training, and eventually graduates, earning a commission as a lieutenant.
Once commissioned, Karan is posted to the 3rd battalion of the Punjab Regiment, stationed in the high altitudes of Kargil, Ladakh, under the leadership of Colonel Sunil Damle [Amitabh Bachchan]. A homecoming leave brings troubling news: Romi is engaged to someone else, and the looming distance between them fuels the emotional stakes as war edges closer. The moment the conflict erupts, Karan is promoted to acting Captain, and the unit is drawn into a critical mission as infiltrators cross the Line of Control and seize key peaks that dominate the National Highway 1D.
Colonel Damle briefs the officers on the strategic situation, explaining how the enemy has slipped onto Indian soil and created a precarious hold on several high points. The battalion is tasked with securing Point 5179, a vital vantage point that could determine the flow of supplies and reinforcements. Because the eastern approaches are too dangerous to assault, the team plans a bold operation from that side, and Karan earns formal recognition for his bravery during the initial assault.
Back home, Romi returns to the story as a war correspondent and reconnects with the changed man she once knew, rekindling old feelings as she covers the unfolding crisis. The second phase of the operation proves grueling: the battalion suffers heavy casualties and fails to capture the peak on the first attempt. With time running out, a small group—twelve officers and soldiers including Karan—faces a brutal test: scale a 1000-foot cliff on the western side to outflank the enemy.
The ascent is perilous, and the unit loses its commanding officer and several comrades amid the night’s fire. The remaining six men press on, reaching the cliff’s summit under cover of darkness and launching a surprise assault on the Pakistani position. Karan is wounded but keeps moving, spotting and eliminating the few remaining intruders at dawn. He drags himself toward the peak, plants the Indian flag, and signals victory to Colonel Damle.
After the battles, Karan is discharged from hospital and reunites with his parents and Romi, marking a hard-won reconciliation and a renewed sense of purpose. In the end credits, tribute is paid to the martyrs of Operation Vijay, honoring the losses and the courage displayed by the soldiers who carried the fight to the peaks.
