Neerja Review: A career-best portrayal by Sonam Kapoor captures a true hero's grit

Film: Neerja
Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Yogendra Tikku, Shekhar Ravjiani
Director: Ram Madhvani
Rating: ****

What it's about

Courage – it’s a virtue everyone possesses, but only a few choose to use it. Neerja Bhanot was one of them and that’s what makes her life so remarkable. Ram Madhvani’s film, named after the protagonist, is an intensely woven tale of the young airhostess who saved hundreds of lives when her flight was hijacked by terrorists in 1986. After walking out of a bad and abusive marriage, Neerja (Sonam) is taking a shot at rediscovering life through her work at Pan Am (which she “loves”) and modelling.

A few days before her 23rd birthday, her flight gets hijacked in Karachi, putting the lives of all the passengers at risk. As her distraught parents (Azmi and Tikku) cope with the situation back home in India, Neerja is stepping beyond her own limits, displaying levels of bravery she herself didn’t know existed within her. The film recaptures the drama inside the aircraft that continued for over 17 hours, in which Neerja sacrificed her life. She was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the country’s highest award for bravery and valour.

What's hot

It’s really a surprise that a film on Neerja Bhanot’s life took such a long time to be made – there couldn’t be a more heroic story than this. And the greatest part about the film is that director Ram Madhvani stays absolutely true to his subject without diluting any of the impact. Neerja is quite easily the finest film in recent times (on par with Talvar) based on a true story. From the first scene of the movie, Madhvani sets the mood for the entire film and not once does he lose his grip. It’s commendable that the producers and the director have treated the subject with all the dignity and respect it deserves – no unnecessary songs and parallel tracks for ‘relief’ (thank your stars this wasn’t produced by T Series).

Every character is carefully crafted – Neerja’s fan moments for Rajesh Khanna are a delight and their culmination in the climax is a whopper. The relationship between Neerja and her mother is the most beautiful part in the film – it will choke you with emotion at every level leading to a crescendo as the film ends. In terms of screen time, Madhvani doesn’t have much of it to establish the bond between Neerja and her ‘close’ friend (Ravjiani). In spite of that, the emotions are still in the right place – that’s the director’s magic touch. From the time the screenplay gets inside the aircraft, every moment is edge-of-the-seat. Even though you know what’s in store next, you are left guessing.

A film like Neerja can usher in a new era where films based on true stories are concerned – this is how they should be made. In terms of performances, it's a career-best portrayal by Sonam Kapoor. Neerja fits her perfectly and vice versa. Shabana Azmi is outstanding – she literally carries the film on her shoulders for the last 10 minutes. Yogendra Tikku as the father has a tough role but he makes it endearing. Shekhar Ravjiani is a revelation – he comes with good screen presence and the right notes. As a film, Neerja wouldn’t be what it has turned out to be without the camerawork of Mitesh Mirchandani. He ensures this is one of the best shot films in recent times – his play with the lens is almost like the driving force of the film.
 
What's not

The only part of the film that’s irritating is the interval break. These are the times when you wish it weren’t there.

What to do

Neerja is 2016’s best film so far and that makes it a must watch. But more importantly, in a country where heroes are easily forgotten, this one’s for Neerja Bhanot – the bravest and boldest 23-year-old you’ve ever known.