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There are some movies which take real life incidences and turn them into a commercial enterprise and then there are some which do absolute justice to the real incidence.
Neerja, by Ram Madhvani, is a brilliantly made movie about Purser Neerja Bhanot and the Pan Am Flight 73 hijack of 1986.
Ram Madhvani spends no time in getting to the point right from the time the credits start giving us glimpses of Neerja’s background.
No time wasted, whatsoever, in getting to the subject at hand.
Its a gripping movie that gets you totally involved in the true events that happened on that fateful day.
Madhvani makes it a point to not be Politically correct or try to appease anyone in the process of making the movie and thats what I, personally, liked about this movie.
Its hard hitting and to the point with no pretense or apologies.
If it wasnt such a sad movie I would have watched this one again and again. But once is more than enough for me. I doubt I can go through the ordeal of the Passengers on Flight 73 again and watch Neerja being shot as she tries to save those kids.
Sonam Kapoor has done a fantastic job and has delivered the characterization of the original Neerja with total conviction.
The rest of the cast is also fabulous, but the movie is not about one particular performance but the package as a whole.
As the movie got over and we were walking out of the theater, my elder one asked me, “Why didnt Neerja jump out of the plane first?? Why did she have to wait till everyone was out? How stupid is that?”
It was my younger one who spoke, before I could say anything, “They wouldnt have made a movie about Neerja, in that case, would they?”
Yes, the movie is inspiring on many levels.
A must watch, in todays times, especially with what is going around us, these days.
It will probably teach everyone a lesson of what Duty is and what Fanaticism is and the difference between the two.
Disclaimer: Special thanks to Shiv Sena for not demanding a boycot on this movie for calling Mumbai as Bombay right from the first scene. #DRF lines are now open for receiving donations.
The Desi Cracked Pot 