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There's something totally shattering about sending your happy, healthy child away and having to receive her or him back home in a coffin. A moment that can melt the hardest of hearts, particularly if it gets emotionally (though also a wee bit affectedly) essayed by an actor like Shabana Azmi. Neerja might be about flight attendant late Neerja Bhanot, how she fought for the lives of the passengers on board her Pan Am Flight 73 when it was hijacked on ground in Karachi by four armed Palestinians of the Abu Nidal group but the strongest cinematic bits in the film are those involving Neerja's family. Don't they say that it's not an individual death that matters as much as its repercussions on those left behind? So too in the film. It's not just the tragedy so much as its impact on the Bhanots that strikes a huge chord.
Neerja is ultimately a family's film. There is their love and affection and easy, carefree ways and an overwhelming love for Rajesh Khanna, complete with all the quotidian touches. All of which is put forth authentically though also very sparingly. Then there is an admirable sense of self respect in how the parents steer Neerja through a bad marriage and stand by her. And, of course, their anxieties, frustrations, when they are a long distance away from Karachi with no information on how their daughter is doing in the hijacked plane. Yogendra Tiku (trying to unsuccessfully comfort his wife on phone) and Shabana Azmi keep it low key and real in conveying the helplessness and pain. But the fag end of the affecting film lets it down when the emotional strength and equilibrium get compromised. Speeches, claps, salutes and "Pushpa I hate tears" turn it into a soppy tissue-box weepie. Overflowing tearducts of the audience may get the moolah in as well as the acclaim but render it a lesser film than it could have been.
The beginning, with its one-the-move, jerky camera lends a sense of urgency to the proceedings but can also leave some of viewers like yours truly struck with motion sickness. In the parallel unfolding narratives Madhvani establishes the context " Neerja and her happy family in Navjeevan Society and the evil terrorists in Tariq Road in Karachi and Lyari. The bursting of balloons in the party on the one hand and the bombs on the other side becomes too pat a correspondence. Even within the plane Madhvani keeps the parallel tracks going though with Neerja's marital abuse in focus; a terrorism of another kind.
Madhvani tries to recreate the situation inside the plane with as much detailing as possible but not all in his huge caste of extras rise up to the challenge. The pilots are cringingly hammy as are some of the passengers on board. The terrorists are as much flat, cardboard cutouts, swinging between madness and ineffectuality. Even Sonam as Neerja felt more Sonam to me than Neerja. Mere Sapno Ki Rani song scene didn't pack in the wallop it was meant to. But the larger emotional swell and sentiment of the film makes one overlook things. You don't even realise that it's the selflessness and courage of real characters you actually end up applauding than the actors playing them. Go for it if you are in the mood for a good cry.
Originally posted by: MissBahanji
The Hindu Review.
The film might be about the late Neerja Bhanot, but the strongest cinematic bits are those involving Neerja's family.
There's something totally shattering about sending your happy, healthy child away and having to receive her or him back home in a coffin. A moment that can melt the hardest of hearts, particularly if it gets emotionally (though also a wee bit affectedly) essayed by an actor like Shabana Azmi. Neerja might be about flight attendant late Neerja Bhanot, how she fought for the lives of the passengers on board her Pan Am Flight 73 when it was hijacked on ground in Karachi by four armed Palestinians of the Abu Nidal group but the strongest cinematic bits in the film are those involving Neerja's family. Don't they say that it's not an individual death that matters as much as its repercussions on those left behind? So too in the film. It's not just the tragedy so much as its impact on the Bhanots that strikes a huge chord.
Neerja is ultimately a family's film. There is their love and affection and easy, carefree ways and an overwhelming love for Rajesh Khanna, complete with all the quotidian touches. All of which is put forth authentically though also very sparingly. Then there is an admirable sense of self respect in how the parents steer Neerja through a bad marriage and stand by her. And, of course, their anxieties, frustrations, when they are a long distance away from Karachi with no information on how their daughter is doing in the hijacked plane. Yogendra Tiku (trying to unsuccessfully comfort his wife on phone) and Shabana Azmi keep it low key and real in conveying the helplessness and pain. But the fag end of the affecting film lets it down when the emotional strength and equilibrium get compromised. Speeches, claps, salutes and "Pushpa I hate tears" turn it into a soppy tissue-box weepie. Overflowing tearducts of the audience may get the moolah in as well as the acclaim but render it a lesser film than it could have been.
Running Time: 122 minutes
Director: Ram Madhvani
Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Yogendra TikuThe beginning, with its one-the-move, jerky camera lends a sense of urgency to the proceedings but can also leave some of viewers like yours truly struck with motion sickness. In the parallel unfolding narratives Madhvani establishes the context " Neerja and her happy family in Navjeevan Society and the evil terrorists in Tariq Road in Karachi and Lyari. The bursting of balloons in the party on the one hand and the bombs on the other side becomes too pat a correspondence. Even within the plane Madhvani keeps the parallel tracks going though with Neerja's marital abuse in focus; a terrorism of another kind.
Madhvani tries to recreate the situation inside the plane with as much detailing as possible but not all in his huge caste of extras rise up to the challenge. The pilots are cringingly hammy as are some of the passengers on board. The terrorists are as much flat, cardboard cutouts, swinging between madness and ineffectuality. Even Sonam as Neerja felt more Sonam to me than Neerja. Mere Sapno Ki Rani song scene didn't pack in the wallop it was meant to. But the larger emotional swell and sentiment of the film makes one overlook things. You don't even realise that it's the selflessness and courage of real characters you actually end up applauding than the actors playing them. Go for it if you are in the mood for a good cry.
Originally posted by: KaanKeNiche.
This review was actually okay up until this point @bold. 😕
You wouldn't applaud the selflessness and courage of real characters if the actors don't actually do a greater than satisfactory job of essaying them.
Unless you knew about the story and did a PhD on the real characters' lives beforehand...
lol.
A film made on a real person comes with its own baggage and on occasions, filmmakers are often tempted to make their protagonists larger-than-life, which sometimes results in adding an element of unrealism to the narrative.
However, once in a while comes a film, which excels at realism and also brings a lump to everyone's throat and Ram Madhwani's Neerja is certainly one such movie, which will be named in such a list of films.
Based on the life of Neerja Bhanot, a flight purser with Pan Am, who sacrificed her life to protect her passengers from armed terrorists during the 1986 Pan Am hijack crisis, 'Neerja' is easily one of this year's best films so far.
Starring Sonam Kapoor in the lead role, the film takes us on a journey through Neerja's personal life and her act of valour, which immortalized her in the eyes of all those who knew her.
Neerja, a model-turned-airhostess embarks on her first flight as a head purser and when the Mumbai-Karachi-USA flight gets hijacked by terrorists from the Abu Nidal organization, who want to use the hostages to secure the freedom of their incarcerated comrades, Neerja and her team of intrepid aircraft staff are the only ones to stand between the hijackers and innocent passengers.
How Neerja motivates her team to do their duty and sacrifices her life in the process is what the film deals with.
Sonam Kapoor has easily given the best performance of her career in this film and the actress manages to bring Neerja to life with her acting. Indeed, it is a treat to watch Sonam put her heart and soul in the character. Her love for her family, her insistence on doing her duty in the face of danger and her palpable fear, which helps her find courage, is quite real and touching. Shabana Azmi as Neerja's mother Rama Bhanot too does a masterful job and so does Yogendra Tiku (Kangana Ranaut's father in Queen), who plays Neerja's dad Harish Bhanot. The supporting cast too has given their best to a film, which deserved nothing less.
As for the direction, Ram Madhwani, who comes back to film direction after the 2002 film Let's Talk, has done a commendable job. Madhwani has not focused only on the hijack drama, but has also offered glimpses of Neerja's personal life, which makes the narrative more relatable. The section of the film once the plane is hijacked is taut, thrilling and terrific and will keep you hooked to the screen. The narrative unfolds so superbly that you end up rooting for Neerja's life, despite the knowledge of her death. The realistic way the film has been shot and presented too works in its favour as there are no unnecessary scenes or over-the-top dialogues or cringe-worthy melodrama.
Indeed, this tribute to a valiant woman is a must watch!
Director: Ram Madhvani
Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Yogendra Tiku, Shekhar Rajviyani
For a director to make a film on a real life incident is in itself a mammoth task. One has to be very careful with all the facts and ensure nothing during the research is overlooked or has a flawed representation.
...
Ram Madhvani's detailed research on this topic is commendable and he brings out all the sides of her life but keeps himself detached from it. Even the scenes inside the plane don't seem to be just from a single perspective. Ram has managed to bring out all perspectives to ensure the most accurate portrayal of the brave girl is brought out in front of the audience. The biggest victory is the Pam Am plane, which was entirely reconstructed matching everything to how it originally was. Saiwyn Quadras's (writer of Marry Kom) dialogues and screenplay is so tight that not once it makes you feel disinterested.
...
Her relationship with her mother Rama ( Shabana Azmi) is the backbone of the film which slowly develops into a teary goodbye towards the end of the film. Shabana's performance is very real and she has immersed herself in the character so seamlessly that even you feel the loss of Neerja, as if someone of your own was shot down.
...
. Full marks to cinematographer Mitesh Mirchandani, for bringing out the -closest to the reality-version given the challenges one may face while filming a movie in a plane. Monisha R Baldawa's work on edit is highly impressive keeping the run time close to two hours.
Coming to the heart of this film, Sonam Kapoor, this is her finest performance till date. Sonam effortlessly slips into the role, bringing Neerja to life. You are only looking at Neerja and possibly the closest depiction of her likes, dislikes, and her bond with the family, her pet and her troubled marriage. Rarely do you get to see a performance where you fail to spot the star and witness them become the character.
...
Shekhar's debut as an actor is impressive and with his innocent looks; he too brings in an important perspective in Neerja's life.
A story, shamefully not even mentioned in history textbooks, is a must watch. Remember the iconic Rajesh Khanna's line Pushpa I Hate Tears? You will be visible shaken in the end and the death of a brave child will leave you teary eyed. Why the mention of this superstar? It is because Neerja was a big fan of the actor.
Go watch it. It is the best tribute to India's daughter Neerja Bhanot, a true hero.
read full review at: https://deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/190216/neerja-movie-review-best-tribute-to-india-s-daughter-by-director-ram-madhvani.html
🥳
Ram Madhvani has crafted a story that will move the coldest of hearts. Nothing much happens in the film, action-wise, per se. But your gut is forever clenched, you're always on the edge of your seat. There's a sense of fear and foreboding, the burden of the knowledge of what is to come. Madhvani, along with writers Saiwyn Quadras and Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh help get an outpouring of emotions from viewers.
Quadras's screenplay is taut and keeps you hooked to the screen from the first frame. The use of flashback to show Neerja's troubled marriage is praiseworthy. There is the occasional moment when you find your patience wavering, though. Towards the end of the film, a shot of Shabana receiving the Ashok Chakra on behalf of her daughter looks out of place and could have been done better.
The story finds an able complement in the cast. Sonam Kapoor plays her Neerja with an exceptional vulnerability and courage, in a way that is not known of her. Shabana Azmi tears the viewer apart, both when she is controlled in her acting, and when she lets go. Yogendra Tiku slips into his role easily. In his debut film, music composer Shekhar Ravjiani manages to make an impression, but it is Sonam and Shabana's film at the end of the day.
Mitesh Mirchandani's cinematography and the production design deserve a pat on the back for recreating the Bombay of the 80s. Rajesh Khanna's ubiquitous presence in Neerja's life, the audio cassettes and the pencils to get the tape in place - all push you into nostalgia. The scene where an old passenger tries to fix a match for her grandson with one of the air hostesses deserves a special mention for its hilarity.
Vishal Khurana's music is pleasing to the ears. Jeete Hai Chal stays with one long after the film ends. The songs don't hamper the pace of the story.
In all, drop everything else and go watch Neerja. This is a story that everyone needs to see.
https://youtu.be/7--P4RFGBDA?si=jEqXySUcFXegOzmW
https://x.com/UmairSandu/status/2056673770220540272
Kartavya- Saif Ali Khan out now on netflix
https://www.indiaforums.com/article/pati-patni-aur-wo-do-review-dont-let-the-title-fool-you-this-is-a-genuinely-fun-comedy-not-about-inf_234249
https://x.com/i/status/2055148493409505704
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