Sandeep Unnikrishnan came from a Malayali family residing in Bangalore, where they had moved from Cheruvannur, Kozhikode District in the state of Kerala. He was the only son of retired ISRO officer K. Unnikrishnan and Dhanalakshmi Unnikrishnan. Unnikrishnan spent 14 years at the Frank Anthony Public School in Bangalore before graduating in 1995 in the ISC Science stream. He wanted to join the Army, even attending school in a crew cut. His peers and teachers recalled him as being a good athlete who was active in school activities and sports events. He was also a member of the school choir and enjoyed watching movies.
Army career
Sandeep joined the National Defence Academy , Pune, Maharashtra in 1995. He was a part of the Oscar Squadron and a graduate of the 94th Course NDA. He graduated as a Bachelor of Arts. His NDA friends remember him as "selfless", "generous" and "calm and composed". He was commissioned as a lieutenant to the 7th Battalion of the Bihar Regiment on 12 July 1999. After serving the Indian Army in different locations in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan during counter insurgencies for two terms, he was selected to join the National Security Guards. On completion of training, he was assigned to the Special Action Group of NSG on January 2007 and participated in various operations of the NSG. During the 'Ghatak course', the most difficult course of the Army, Sandeep topped the course, earning an "Instructor Grading" and commendation. He opted for the NSG commando service which he joined on deputation in 2006. During Operation Vijay in July 1999, he was regarded positively at the forward posts in the face of heavy artillery firing and small arms fire by Pakistan troops. On the evening of 31 December 1999, Sandeep led a team of six soldiers and managed to establish a post 200 metres from the opposing side and under direct observation and fire.
Operation Black Tornado
On the night of 26 November 2008, several iconic buildings in South Mumbai were attacked. One of the buildings where hostage were held was the 100-year-old Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Sandeep Unnikrishnan was the team commander of 51 Special Action Group deployed in the operation at the hotel to rescue the hostages. He entered the hotel in a group of 10 commandos and reached the sixth floor through the staircase. As the team descended the stairs, they suspected perpetrators on the third floor. A few women were held as hostages in a room which was locked from the inside. After breaking open the door, the round of fire by the perpetrators hit Commando Sunil Jodha, who was Sandeep's colleague. Sandeep engaged the perpetrators in a firefight. He arranged for Yadav's evacuation and gave chase to those he had engaged in the firefight who, meanwhile, escaped to another floor of the hotel. In the encounter that followed, he was shot from the back, and he later succumbed to his injuries. His last words were, "Do not come up, I will handle them," according to NSG officials.
At Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's funeral, mourners chanted "Sandeep Unnikrishnan Amar Rahe". Thousands of people lined up outside his Bangalore house to pay their respects. His funeral was held with full military honours. The Mother Dairy Double Road in Bangalore, a 4.5 km road from Federal Mogul on Doddaballapur Road to MS Palya junction, was renamed Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Road in his honour. A bust of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan is installed on Ramamurthy Nagar Outer Ring Road junction in Bengaluru and is named in his honour.
Biopic
major Sony Pictures Entertainment has registered two titles with the producers’ association called Major and Major Sandeep in their endeavour to make a biopic on his life. "It is not just about the attack but is more of a biopic. The studio is in talks with the family of Major Sandeep to get the rights personal as well as work-related and are keen to offer a tribute to the late soldier," says a trade source. "The story is also interesting as he was trying to rescue an injured comrade when he was shot and later, he succumbed to injuries. There are many layers in the film," says the source. As per news reports, the title of the biopic will be 'Major' and actor Adivi Sesh will be playing the titular role of Major Sandeep. The film will be produced by Actor Mahesh Babu and will release in 2020. Arjun Bijlani has played the role of Major Nikhil Manikrishnan in the hindi web seriesState of Siege 26/11 whose character is loosely based on Major Unnikrishnan during the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
