Review - Airlift- Akshay and the film both are impressive

Image source: Zee News

AIRLIFT - REVIEW

I generally refrain myself from writing Movie reviews purely because readers tend to take sides and label the Blogger as “Being Partial”, I say this for the few reviews I have done only to keep arguments at bay. I am doing “Airlift” Review as I feel there is a dearth of such movies today and it should get the necessary credit it deserves.

PLOT

Ranjit Katiyal is a successful businessman close to the Royal family of Kuwait and has earned himself a plush living with his wife and daughter. As destiny has it in store for Katiyal, Saddam Hussein’s forces overrun Kuwait in August 1990, and Katiyal realizes how powerless he is dealing with the Indian government doing an evacuation of more than 110,000 citizens from Iraq and Kuwait via an airlift that includes Involving the Air India with nearly 500 flights. The operation was the largest civilian evacuation in history.  Eventually, Air India, Indian Airlines and the Indian Airforce flew 488 flights over 59 days, carrying 111,711 passengers (though in the movie, it is only the Air India who does all the flights) The plot revolves around Katiyals efforts to speak to the Government of Iraq, India and Jordan, his own fight within which finally makes him realize that Once an India, always an Indian. It also shows his state of mind to see the safety of not only his family, but all the Indians stuck in Kuwait and to get them Food and Shelter. His giving up of his own ego, which he has nurtured over the years in Kuwait as a successful businessman.


(Official Movie Trailer by T-Series)

Cast

Akshay Kumar as Ranjit Katyal, (based on Mathunny Mathews)
Nimrat Kaur as Amrita Katyal
Feryna Wazheir as Tasneem
Inaamulhaq as Major Khalaf bin Zayd
Lena as Deepti Jayarajan
Purab Kohli as Ibrahim Durrani
Prakash Belawadi as George Kutty
Arun Bali as Bauji
Ninad Kamat as Kurien
Kaizaad Kotwal as Poonawalla
Gunjan Malhotra as Meher Poonawalla
Surendra Pal as External Affairs minister
Kumud Mishra as Sanjeev Kohli
Abida Hussain as Simran

Production

The movie is produced by Nikhil Advani, Monisha Adwani, Aruna Bhatia, Madhu G. Bhojwani, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vikram Malhotra and  directed by Raja Krishna Menon and cinematography by Priya Seth. It has been distributed by Prateek Entertainment on 22nd Jan 2016 and has a run-time of 125 minutes. It was budgeted and completed in approximately 30 Crores mostly shot in Dubai with sets recreated to show Kuwait of the 1990, Bhuj-Gujrat and Rajasthan.

Review

The movie is well balanced with a good mix of story, cinematography, some real good editing which is very much fact based of what happened post August 1, 1990. Such films do not need songs, but since it’s a Bollywood film and no one relates to a film without a song, hence the songs. Coming to Acting this is arguably Akshay Kumars best performance till date, supported well by Prakash Belawadi, Inaamulhaq along with Purab Kohli. Prakash, who comes in the form of a cynical old man always ready to get upset and not ready to acknowledge Akshay’s efforts or Inaamulhaq’s Iraqi soldier who enjoys the turning of power equations and of course Purab Kohli’s dedicated and silent character, they all lift the film to greater heights. Nimrat however, is there in the movie for the sake of it and seems to make no effort to show her acting skills. After seeing her in Lunchbox, there were great expectations from her, but she disappoints barring one scene of an argument with Prakash. The Lethargy of the officials sitting in offices is shown as it is without stretching it so much so that the ‘Aam Junta’ starts hating them.

Though the Akshay’s role is based on two real life characters, he impresses one and all and most importantly the movie impresses one and all. Raja Krishna Menon has handled the plot well and done justice to the film.

Verdict

Released on more than 1800-2000 screens in India and 70 screens overseas, This is a “HIT” (not a Super-hit) and will cross 200 Crores collection mark overall. I rate this Film 4.0 / 5.0.

(Movie Trailer Source:T-Series)

U K

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