Mohanlal, first actor in India to join Territorial Army

Malayalam actor Mohanlal has formally joined as Lt. Colonel rank in Territorial Army (TA)of India today.

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor handed over the title of Lt. Colonel by pinning the Ashoka Lion and star on Mohan Lal's shoulders, at a ceremony in South Block, New Delhi. He will join the Kannur Terriers, 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) of Madras Regiment.

Mohanlal has been conferred the title of Lieutenant colonel for his contributions as an actor in the movies depicting the life of soldiers like `Kirti Chakra' and `Kurukshetra', directed by Major Ravi.



He is the celebrity to join Territorial army this year after cricketer Kapil Dev, and is the first Indian actor to join the Territorial Army.

The Territorial Army is part of Regular Army in which civilians can do their routine jobs and offer army service when the nation needed them. Duties of the TA include assisting civil administration during natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected or the Security of the Country is threatened etc.

Presently the Territorial Army has 42 infantry battalions with a strength of 40000 persons along with many industrialists, politicians and eminent personalities.