Neerja (2016)

Director: Ram Madhvani

Story: Saiwyn Quadras, Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh

Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi

Music: Vishal Khurana

Time: 116 minutes

Bottom-line: An amazing film about a true hero

Ram Madhvani’s biopic of Neerja Bhanot (7 September 1963 – 5 September 1986) is one of the best films made in India in the last few years. In a time when Indians worship actors and cricket players, Neerja is the story of one of the unsung heroes of India – an air hostess who saved over 350 passengers in a plane hijack, before being shot herself.

“Her loyalties to the passengers of the aircraft in distress will forever be a lasting tribute to the finest qualities of the human spirit.” – Ashok Charka citation.

The film begins with Neerja (Kapoor) partying in her house. Her mother, Rama (Azmi) shows her worry regarding Neerja’s job as a flight attendant, but the latter insists on pursuing it. She is driven to the airport by her boyfriend, who gives her a gift for her upcoming birthday. The PanAm flight takes off from Mumbai and lands in Karachi for transit, where four terrorists, disguised as Libyan officers, hijack the plane. Neerja immediately warns the American pilots to escape, who flee to the terminal. Demanding a pilot, the terrorists murder an Indian-American as the officers try to negotiate. Watch how Neerja almost single-handedly saves 359 out of 379 passengers in this memorable biopic.

 

Kapoor as Neerja (left) and the actual
Neerja Bhanot 

The film is shown from Neerja’s point of view, in the sense that importance is also given to her family background and personal life: how she started off as a model, and left her first husband who never appreciated her and often blamed her for not knowing how to cook and clean. While this might throw us off the main theme, I felt this track was necessary because it gives a more human feel to an otherwise standard terrorist movie. After all, when we are talking about such a heroic moment it is worth focussing a lot more on the lead character. The ending is really emotional; if you don’t feel the urge to salute along with the rest of the crew when they see the last of Neerja, then something is wrong with you.

Sonam Kapoor steals the show, hands down. While many may have been sceptical about her playing such a powerful character, Kapoor silenced them all with this magnificent performance. It was an inspirational performance in the sense that it gave me a really strong respect for the actual Neerja Bhanot, and I’m sure it will to everyone who hasn’t heard of this hero before. Shabana Azmi plays a small but crucial role – that of Neerja’s mother. She showcases some superb acting all through the movie, and her speech in the end is in particular, quite moving.

 

Azmi as Rama Bhanot

The story elements with the terrorists may or may not have been exaggerated but it was quite compact – 116 minutes without much melodrama. The text that flows across the screen just before the closing credits lets us know that Neerja was honoured for her bravery from the governments of three countries: India, Pakistan and USA. The Neerja Bhanot Award is given in her honour.

Watch this movie simply because it talks about a real hero… the act of Neerja can never and will never be forgotten by anyone, and hats off to Ram Madhvani for bringing it to the big screen!

My Rating: 3.5/5