It started as a sudden surge of patriotism after a cricket win and a movie, but ended up becoming a story of extreme perseverance by the time Kishu Singh of Bihar's Saran district made it to the Indian Army this year, after 14 attempts at various exams to enter the defence forces.

Kishu Singh, 24, is now a lieutenant after cracking the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam in May.

He had turned to CDS, a test conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for bachelor's degree-holders, after failing several times in the National Defence Academy (NDA) selection process. After he crossed the age limit for NDA, he concentrated on CDS as well as the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT).

"I just accepted that somewhere I was lacking, so I wanted to give 100% every time," he told NDTV as he visited his family. "I introspected, became more natural and completely honest while highlighting my strengths and weaknesses at the interview stage, and that helped me," he added, speaking specifically of the final step of the process conducted by the Service Selection Board (SSB).

World Cup Win And 'Border' His Inspirations

He said the dream of joining the armed forces took root in his mind in 2011. He was nine years old, and that was the year Team India won the cricket World Cup on home soil. About four months later, after an Independence Day event, he watched the movie 'Border' on television. Sunny Deol headlined the 1997 movie, but Kishu, watching it over a decade later, identified with another character.

"I was deeply inspired by the character of Second Lieutenant Dharamvir, played by Akshaye Khanna. It was then that I decided I would become an officer in the Indian Army," Kishu Singh said.

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But it took years, a testing time through which his family's support kept him going. His father and elder brother are businessmen; "they taught me that no matter how daunting a challenge might be, one must face it with a calm mind and never give up," he said.

He recalled that every time he faced rejection at the SSB stage, his father would insist he book a flight instead of taking the train. "Each time, my family would welcome me at the airport with sweets to ensure that my morale remained high," he said.

Kishu Singh with his family in Saran, Bihar.

During the written exam phase, the focus was heavily on academics, though he maintained his physical exercise regimen alongside. He said he would dedicate 5-6 hours in the morning to mathematics, followed by around two hours for English and 4-5 hours to other subjects. The SSB interview stage proved to be the biggest challenge in Kishu's journey; he managed to clear that interview only on his 14th attempt. Once he got in, the family decided not to make a big show of it until the medical examination and other processes were done.