Not many of us knew Neerja Bhanot and those who knew never cared! The movie speaks about the bravery of a 23 year old chief purser of PanAm Airlines flying from Bombay to Frankfurt which gets hijacked by four Palestanian terrorists during a layover at Karachi airport on 5th September 1986.
The movie starts with Neerja arriving late at a much boring house party and filling it with fun and life. Later the movie moves parallel with Neerja preparing herself for the next flight and some terrorists planning for a hijack in Karachi. Later on the terrorists succeed in capturing the aircraft grounded in Karachi airport and how Neerja Bhanot tries to keep her passengers safe forms the rest of the story. Neerja’s distress call to the cockpit about the plane being hijacked which helps the pilots to flee and make the aircraft grounded is the first display of her bravery and presence of mind.
The screenplay(Saiwyn Quadras) is the hero of the film which keeps the viewer on the edge of the seat for those two hours. Director Ram Madhvani strikes a chord with an equal balance of fear and emotions. For example the scene where a terrorist frisks Neerja and the one in which she gets shot.
The movie is completely carried on the shoulder of Sonam Kapoor who undoubtedly gives her career best performance as Neerja. Her fear during the hijack of the plane and locking herself in the washroom and going into the flashbacks where she was once married and tortured by her husband reflects her evolution as an “actor”. Shabana Azmi as Rama Bhanot will get accolades for playing the role of a helpless yet proud mother. Her speech during Neerja’s first death anniversary will bring tears in your eyes I’m sure. Jim Sarbh playing the twisted minded Khalil does an excellent job in keeping the fear alive throughout the movie. Yogendra Tiku as Harish Bhanot also does a sincere job so does Sekhar Ravjiani.
Neerja is a film that will set new grounds in terms of bravery. This is a movie that is not meant for making business but an honest effort to showcase the heart warming story of a common girl who doesn’t care for her life to protect her fellow passengers.