Neerja

Neerja 

I couldn’t stop crying almost the entire second half. A film that will take you so close to Neerja, the braveheart flight purser  who died saving lives of 350 passengers in a hijacked plane, that you feel you know her well enough to mourn her death. It is one of the most incredible films of this year about Neerja Bhanot who was a very compassionate and loving person deep down. It’s what gave her the strength and bravado to be unfazed in front of terrorists with machine guns and animal menace. The most incredible part of this film is the real life feel about it. You will feel as if it is happening to your relative or your neighbor, someone you are close to and someone you know very well. The relationships have been woven beautifully into the story of this film. Though the bravery and strength of Neerja is the highlight of this film, her relationship with her family and her boyfriend is where she draws her strength from. The words of wisdom that her father tells her over a phone call save her from an abusive marriage and also save 350 passengers in the hijacked plane, but cannot save her. We often feel emotional in films because we draw similar situations in our lives. The relationships, bonding and connections of Neerja are the ones of any Indian family and that’s why this film is so gripping. The brilliance of the great veteran Shabana Azmi ,as Neerja’s mother, are the center piece of this film. The emotions and love she expresses for her daughter could be acted out only by her. Shekhar should take up acting seriously, for he is far better than so many “leads”. Excellent performances by the cabin crew and passengers.  Its as if I was in the plane. Of course this is Sonam Kapoor’s best performance in her career and am happy to see what she is capable of. Her silent, emotive yet strong and concentrated performance are completely different from the roles she has done so far.