Neerja, a small but vibrant tribute to an enormous act of sacrifice

From the moment Sonam Kapoor mouthed this famous Rajesh Khanna line “Babu Moshai, zindagi badi honi chahiye lambi nahin” meaning "Life should be grand not long” from the 1971 movie Anand, I just knew I would love this movie.

You see Anand is my all-time favourite, and I’ll let you in on a secret, there was a time I was convinced that “Kaka” as Rajesh Khanna was fondly nicknamed, walked on water.

So what does Rajesh Khanna have to do with a biopic about one of India’s most tragic heroes? I’m not going to spoil it for you but I will urge you with every ounce of the Indian in me and the whole of the human in me that you do your best to find out, because Neerja isn’t just another movie, it is about a tragic event that gives rise to an unlikely, unprepared, unmotivated and unsolicited act of heroism and it is so superbly captured that it will forever be a tribute to the memory of Neerja Bhanot.

So who is Neerja? Do a Google search and her story is all over the net, but there is more to this movie than what even the know-it-all that is Google can reveal, because it’s beyond the tragic hijacking incident where Neerja’s story emerges, it is about the life of a young woman; a daughter, a sister, a wife, a model, a girlfriend, an air hostess and ultimately a hero, and not just any hero but one of India’s greatest heroes who would go on to have one of the countries greatest honours named after her .

The year is 1986, the date 5 September, in two days time Neerja Bhanot, will be 23.

She’ll be back on her way home to Bombay - as it was then known by then, but before that is the little matter of her first flight as the purser – the Head Stewardess on Pan-Am Flight 73 from Bombay to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt. 
Upon landing in Karachi, the flight is hijacked by members of the Palestinian based Abu Nidal Organization. Sensing danger the pilot and his assistants abandon their cockpit leaving Bhanot as the most senior crew member on board alongside 379 other people; 18 crew and 361 passengers.

Ram Madhvani tells the story of this ill-fated flight and of Neerja Bhanot’s life concurrently, interspersing episodes from her past alongside the drama of the unfolding tragedy.

Its film making at its best, filled with enormous trepidation, it is gripping, troubling but constantly riveting. Amazingly even though the fate of the characters is pre-determined, Madhvani still manages to evoke concern. To make an incident that has already occurred, play itself out as if it was unfolding in front of you is a remarkable achievement for a director who has a scant filmography having directed just one movie, although not even I had heard of Let’s Talk.

What I knew about Madhvani is that he had directed the Bheja Kum song in Taare Zameen Par for Aamir Khan and worked with Aamir again on the theme song for his TV series Satyamev Jayate, and that he was also responsible for the acclaimed documentary Everlasting Light on Amitabh Bachchan, but little else. There are two songs intended to convey emotion here but they are not the focal point of the proceedings, the drama is.

Madhvani combines aspects of Neerja’s life, through the people in her life, and through her personal interests and that’s where Rajesh Khanna comes in. She is his biggest fan. Khanna’s era was the golden age of Indian music, a time when melody was king and also a time when drama was instilled with emotions, and even though I convinced myself that I would not shed a tear as Neerja’s fate was already determined, I still did, so pack your tissues because you won’t be able to stop yourself.

Hands up all those who called Sonam Kapoor a non-actress? If ever you’ve said the same, go see this movie for conclusive proof that performances are based on how a character has been written and defined, more than how an actor performs them. That’s not discrediting Sonam, its saying that her directors are only learning of what makes her tick, and does she tick.  It’s a nuanced performance, constantly underplayed and it will be up for awards, that much is guaranteed.

The other guarantee is that Shabana Azmi who plays her mother will receive a Best Supporting Actress nomination. I'll bet my house on it. Shabana takes another superbly written part, of a mother who has to show strength for her family in difficult times, in her stride. 

With Shabana the character inevitably supersedes the persona and it’s just so good to see her in action again, she wears a mothers pride on her sleeve, but her emotions in a cage, if she doesn’t grab at your heartstrings nothing ever will. 
Shabana is a movie buffs dream actress.

The supporting cast is spot on and a little word about Jim Sarbh who plays the crazed terrorist and Abrar Zahoor who plays his leader, their depiction of their roles give Neerja’s heroics gravitas, it gives it weight because the badder they are the better her accomplishment, and the heavier the sorrow.

Neerja is an incredible story, sad and heroic, full of life and yet it tells of a life that went too soon, it is not cathartic because the people who survived it will forever be traumatized by the memories it evokes, but it is a magnificent piece of Indian cinema and it is in its own way a small but vibrant tribute to a great selfless act of sacrifice, a story that it is essential for us all to know. 

Let me finish with a Rajesh Khanna dialogue:   

“Ae Babu Moshai, Zindagi aur maut to uparwale ke haath mein hai Jahan Pana. Usse naa hi aap badal sakte hain na main, hum sab rang manjh ki khatputliya hai, jinki dhor uparwale ki ungliyon mein bandhi huwi hai…” – Anand

Life and death are all in the Almighty’s hand, which neither you nor I can change, we are all vibrantly colourful puppets, with the Almighty pulling the strings…  

Neerja get's a big big big: