Bollywood has been experimenting a lot with biographies lately and I must admit it is doing very well. Following up to the Kuwaiti evacuation drama, Airlift, which released to critical acclaim earlier this year, we have another brilliant and thrilling biography which salutes a brave hero for her unprecedented loyalty.
Neerja (Kapoor) is a Mumbai-based flight attendant for the Pan Am with an ugly matrimonial past and a loving family. Hoping to move froward in her career by honestly doing her job, she boards her first flight as the head purser only to find it being hijacked at a transit airport by a group of terrorists with shades of sadistic characteristics. Her virtuous upbringing, brought about by her parents (played wonderfully by Azmi and Tikku), provides her strength and courage to help her passengers get to safety. The plot revolves around the terrorists' attempt to get the plane flying, while Neerja attempts to find a way out.
The story about the brave purser who takes a bullet to save more than 300 passengers needed to be told. And the film tells it beautifully, sampling right amounts of emotions and thrills. It is fairly evident from the beginning that the hijack attempt was going south causing the psychotic terrorists to pile a nerve and go berserk. Neerja, maintaining her posture, simultaneously reminiscing her past and the values showered upon her by her parents, fights for the passengers. It is a basic and essential tale of courage showcased by an ordinary woman in time of ultimate crisis, showing us that greatness can often be found in the ordinary.
The plot is gripping which will hold you, tug at your heartstrings occasionally, and will eventually make you weep. We know that terrorism is a curse, but watching this 120-minute thriller biopic will restore your faith in humanity, like the millennials nowadays say. With good use of musical montage and crisp dialogs, this one is well-directed and well-acted. Kapoor does a fine job, but still, somehow somewhere things were lacking. Maybe it's got something to do with her expressions, but the rest of the cast support the film well, especially Azmi who preaches at the end, during the whole scene which could have been done away with. But apparently, the makers wanted to give her the second most screen space in the film. Apparently. Rajviani is good.
While there are definitely things that could have been done better, this biopic is at least better than 90% of the Bollywood films released in the past 6 months.
BOTTOM LINE: Ram Madhvani's biopic, Neerja, is an edge- of-the-seat thriller that will get you to scream in annoyance and anger, will make you cry due to an emotional overload, and will ultimately make you happy to know that a young lady named Neerja Bhanot showed what bravery actually means. Highly recommended!
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Neerja (Kapoor) is a Mumbai-based flight attendant for the Pan Am with an ugly matrimonial past and a loving family. Hoping to move froward in her career by honestly doing her job, she boards her first flight as the head purser only to find it being hijacked at a transit airport by a group of terrorists with shades of sadistic characteristics. Her virtuous upbringing, brought about by her parents (played wonderfully by Azmi and Tikku), provides her strength and courage to help her passengers get to safety. The plot revolves around the terrorists' attempt to get the plane flying, while Neerja attempts to find a way out.
The story about the brave purser who takes a bullet to save more than 300 passengers needed to be told. And the film tells it beautifully, sampling right amounts of emotions and thrills. It is fairly evident from the beginning that the hijack attempt was going south causing the psychotic terrorists to pile a nerve and go berserk. Neerja, maintaining her posture, simultaneously reminiscing her past and the values showered upon her by her parents, fights for the passengers. It is a basic and essential tale of courage showcased by an ordinary woman in time of ultimate crisis, showing us that greatness can often be found in the ordinary.
The plot is gripping which will hold you, tug at your heartstrings occasionally, and will eventually make you weep. We know that terrorism is a curse, but watching this 120-minute thriller biopic will restore your faith in humanity, like the millennials nowadays say. With good use of musical montage and crisp dialogs, this one is well-directed and well-acted. Kapoor does a fine job, but still, somehow somewhere things were lacking. Maybe it's got something to do with her expressions, but the rest of the cast support the film well, especially Azmi who preaches at the end, during the whole scene which could have been done away with. But apparently, the makers wanted to give her the second most screen space in the film. Apparently. Rajviani is good.
While there are definitely things that could have been done better, this biopic is at least better than 90% of the Bollywood films released in the past 6 months.
BOTTOM LINE: Ram Madhvani's biopic, Neerja, is an edge- of-the-seat thriller that will get you to scream in annoyance and anger, will make you cry due to an emotional overload, and will ultimately make you happy to know that a young lady named Neerja Bhanot showed what bravery actually means. Highly recommended!
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES