Bollywood’s newest action drama this week is the one based on the historical incident of the airbase attack that occurred in Sargodha, Pakistan- Sky Force and has Akshay Kumar, Veer Pahariya, Sara Ali Khan, and Nimrat Kaur on board. This film is set against the backdrop of India’s first airstrike in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. It tells a story about the courage, patriotism, and sacrifice of the brave Air Force soldiers. Breaking the trend of simply combining thrilling action with an emotional plot, the film is a treat for those who love the action-drama genre.
The Plot:
Sky Force follows the story of Wing Commander K.O. Ahuja, played by Akshay Kumar, who leads an Air Force team known as the Tigers during India’s first airstrike on Pakistan’s Sargodha airbase during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. After a successful mission, one of his pilots, T Vijaya(Veer Pahariya), goes missing in action. Despite bureaucratic indifference, Ahuja starts on an unrelenting quest to uncover the truth about Vijaya’s fate. This movie tries to connect action with the emotional depth within it, representing ideas like sacrifice, love for one’s country, and friendship among army men. Unlike all army-themed movies out there, Sky Force is much more than a war. The diplomatic and political aspect of the movie makes it more interesting.
Performances:
Akshay Kumar does an excellent job playing Wing Commander Ahuja. As usual, it’s his performance and lines that carry the weight of an army officer. The emotional range in his acting from an extremely serious army man to a struggling individual grasping responsibility is also commendable. However, he overshadows all other actors in the film. The rest are not up to the mark. Veer Pahariya makes his debut in Sky Force as Squadron Leader T Vijaya. His performance is decent but lacks the depth needed to make a significant impact. Even Sara Ali Khan and Nimrat Kaur could not contribute effectively in their roles and should have made the best out of their screen time.
Standout Elements:
As an army-themed action film, the visuals and action choreography are amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cinematography captures the intensity of aerial combat well, which is more difficult than on-ground combat. Tanishk Bagchi’s sound design and background score enhance the viewing experience, particularly during key action moments. Even though there are predictable moments and the film follows a set pattern of events, the director has made sure to maintain historical accuracy. In a genre where he has always been in the show, Akshay never fails.
Should You Watch It?
If you want to see some high-octane action with stunning visuals and perfect graphics, the movie is worth watching in the theatres. There aren’t a lot of surprises on the plot side, as most of the storyline feels predictable after a point. Especially, if you know the history, there is nothing new to add. However, Akshay’s performance is amazing and the direction is far better than recent action films in Bollywood. The cuts are clean and the editing leaves no room for errors. Only if other actors had stood up to their roles and the climax was more unpredictable, the film would have been a 5-star movie.