Neerja is a portrayal on the life of the courageous Neerja
Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on
the Pan Am flight 73 in 1986. The flight was hijacked by a terrorist
organization.
Director: Ram Madhvani
Writers: Saiwyn Quadras (story)
(as Saiwyn Qadras), Sanyukta Shaikh Chawla (dialogue)
Stars: Sonam Kapoor, Parth Akerkar, Bobby Arora
Story-line
Neerja is a portrayal on the life of the courageous Neerja
Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on
the Pan Am flight 73 in 1986. The flight was hijacked by a terrorist organization.
Neerja Movie Reviews
Sonam Kapoor's terrific hijacking drama will leave you
teary-eyed
As everyone knows, Neerja is based on the brave airhostess
who lost her life saving many others during the unforgettable Pan Am hijacking
of 1986. When it comes to hijacking dramas, the first and the best film that
comes to my mind is United 93, a terrifying drama set on the only flight that
crashed on an empty paddock during the infamous 9/11 attacks. As far as I can
remember, Bollywood's last attempt in this genre was the mediocre Shiny Ahuja
film, Hijack. So it was with some trepidation that I went to watch Neerja, but
in the end, I was simply bowled over!
The biggest positive I can say about the film, and I would want to say right at
the start itself, the film never lets down the spirit of Neerja Bhanot. While
Bollywood biopics have the tendency to put masala in stories of real life
personalities, Neerja thankfully avoids that! If Neerja was a hero in real
life, Ram Madhvani is the real hero of the film. It is to his credit that he
has made such a compelling drama that will keep you on the edge of your seats.
The entire hijacking situation is so brilliantly shot that you feel that you
are a part of the life threatening drama. The tension you feel in the scenes are
palpable, especially when the terrorists realise there is no hope for them and
they become reckless. The docu style camera work heightens the sense of
claustrophobia in you. The background score is tense and brilliantly done. But
where Ram Madhvani actually scores is how he shot the final moments of Neerja's
sacrifice – intense yet emotionally wrought. If those scenes don't bring tears
from your eyes, your heart is definitely made of stone. Another thing that
worked for the film is the casting. From the main leads to even the supporting
ones, everyone has done Justice to their roles. The makers must be lauded for
choosing relative new comers in the other roles, as it works in creating a
sense of realism. The actors playing the terrorists totally look their part,
especially the one playing Khalil. But the film would not have been what it is,
if it was not for the film's main leads. Despite her limitations (her voice is
still not so easy to adjust), Sonam is the heart and soul of the film. This is
a role that she can show her detractors and ask them to just shut up! She is
terrific, especially in the second half, where her eyes speak a lot, of fear,
of courage. Shabana Azmi is great, as always and her final speech will
definitely make you cry if you haven't started yet. Yogendra Tiku, who plays
Sonam's father in the film, is another actor to look out for. In his debut
film, composer Shekhar Ravjiani is pretty likable in his small role. Also, if a
scene or two would have shown about how the Indian Government reacted to the
situation, it would have been great.
Neerja's last words to her mother in the film is a famous Rajesh Khanna
dialogue about Pushpa and her tears! Even though I hate them a lot, you just
can't leave the hall with dry eyes! Aamir, you have more company in the crying
club.
The first thing I noticed was how inventive the storytelling is. The film throws you into the action from the first moment (literally: the very first moment) and then it goes back and forth in brilliant and unexpected ways to slowly unspool the story of this insane - but oddly charming - antihero. Flashbacks and fast-forwards can be annoying as hell, but when done right, they can help render even a somewhat simple story fresh and exciting. And that's exactly how Deadpool felt to me right from the start: like a fresh (if somewhat dirty) jolt of energy.
The action itself is beautifully designed, employing playful visuals and using pretty much every camera technique available; it never feels repetitive and the pacing is close to perfection. But, and that was probably the key to me liking the film so much, there's a beating heart underneath all the action and carnage, and that has a lot to do with how brilliantly Ryan Reynolds portrays the character and the great chemistry he has with co-star Morena Baccarin. What came as a complete surprise to me was how unabashedly romantic Deadpool is. The love story in this film is probably the most sincere I've ever seen in a superhero movie and it gives the film the strong emotional core which so many of these movies lack.
The humor, which I initially feared would just be non-stop juvenile wisecracks and soon become distracting, also works surprisingly well. Not every line or every joke lands - but that's the beauty of this character: they don't really need to. Deadpool can't help himself; as long as he's able to breathe he'll crack wise and make fun of himself and those around him. It's a clinical condition; he's not a stand-up comedian whose jokes need to land: he's a madman (albeit a very entertaining one) and the comedy in his case is born out of tragedy.
Despite all my praise, it's not a perfect film. The villain in this revenge tale could be more memorable and the story itself is a bit too derivative to really do its highly unconventional protagonist (he insists he's not a hero) justice: but it's a damn good first entry in a franchise that will hopefully explore the character and his world to a much larger extent in the sequel(s). And it's actually a very important film for another reason. If Deadpool is a financial success - which at this point is already clear it will be - this could play a vital role in how studios henceforth view the financial prospects of R-rated superhero films, and we'll hopefully see more of them in the future.
Many people might feel different - and I respect their opinion - but I've grown tired of the entirely bloodless CGI overkill in all those 200 million productions where even the most terrible villains talk like Mormon schoolgirls. I mean: there's a gigantic audience out there that is over the age of 18, loves to read comic books and can absolutely handle real-world language, real-world sex and real-world violence in superhero movies. This genre is so diverse; it's ridiculous to believe just because comic books have pictures in them all film adaptations - regardless of the material - must automatically be made for kids in order to be successful.
As it is, I think Deadpool - a dirty, funny, sexy and violent film which is decidedly NOT for kids - just proved my point perfectly. 9 stars out of 10.