Who Was Ravindra Kaushik, R&AW's "Black Tiger" And The Original Dhurandhar

Before Bollywood brought spies to the silver screen with films such as Dhurandhar, Pathaan and the Tiger franchise, there was a man whose life was stranger than fiction. Ravindra Kaushik, known as R&AW's "Black Tiger," was one of India's bravest undercover agents.

Kaushik went undercover in Pakistan and joined the Pakistan Army, pretending to be one of them. While there, he gathered crucial information for India, including details about troop movements and Pakistan's nuclear programme. He was caught in 1983 by Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, and spent the rest of his life in prison.

He is widely regarded as the original "Dhurandhar". He even met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who reportedly gave him the title of "Black Tiger."

Who was Ravindra Kaushik?

Kaushik was born on April 11, 1952, in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, a town near the India-Pakistan border, where he learned Punjabi and local dialects. While studying Commerce at SD Bihani College in Ganganagar, he took part in theatre and developed his acting skills. 

In 1973, he performed at a national drama competition in Lucknow. It was a solo act as an Indian soldier being questioned. His performance caught the attention of R&AW. Soon after, he went through intense training to take on a new identity for secret missions in Delhi. During this training, he learned about Islam, the subtle differences in Pakistani Urdu, and the geography of India's neighbour.

In 1975, at just 23, Kaushik entered Pakistan under the name Nabi Ahmed Shakir. He studied at Karachi University, earned a law degree, and joined the Pakistan Army, eventually reaching the rank of Major.

Between 1979 and 1983, Kaushik secretly sent critical intelligence to India. He provided sensitive details, including troop movements in Punjab and Pakistan's nuclear facility at Kahuta. He even married a Pakistani woman named Amanat and had a child.

In 1983, R&AW sent a junior spy named Inayat Masih to meet him. However, Masih was caught almost immediately by ISI. During harsh questioning, Masih revealed information that led the ISI to the park in Multan where he was supposed to meet Kaushik. He was arrested in September 1983.

Kaushik was moved between interrogation centres in Sialkot and high-security jails in Kot Lakhpat and Mianwali. In 1985, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death, but it was later changed to life imprisonment. Kaushik died on November 21, 2001, in Mianwali Central Jail from pulmonary tuberculosis and heart disease.