Neerja (2016)

Neerja is the story of the courageous Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on the Pan Am flight 73 in 1986. The flight was hijacked by a terrorist organization.

Director:

Ram Madhvani

Writers:

Saiwyn Quadras (story and screenplay) (as Saiwyn Qadras), Sanyukta Chawla Shaikh (dialogue) (as Sanyukta Shaikh Chawla)

Stars:

Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Yogendra Tikku

Top Rated Indian Movies #142 | 28 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Sonam Kapoor	...	Neerja Bhanot
Shabana Azmi	...	Rama Bhanot
Yogendra Tikku	...	Harish Bhanot
Abrar Zahoor	...	Safarini
Jim Sarbh	...	Khalil
Ali Baldiwala	...	Mansoor
Vikrant Singta	...	Fahad
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kirti Adarkar	...	Passenger
Parth Akerkar	...	Flight Passenger
Hayder Ali	...	Passenger Munawar Masih
Arjun Aneja
Yugesh Anil	...	Benett A
Bobby Arora	...	Sardar Family Friend
Rohit Assija	...	Mohammed Tariq
Sabreen Baker	...	Nupoor Abrool passenger

Storyline

Neerja is the story of the courageous Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on the Pan Am flight 73 in 1986. The flight was hijacked by a terrorist organization.

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Plot Keywords:

terrorist | mother daughter relationship | strong female lead | female protagonist | tragedy | 

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Taglines:

Fear gave her courage.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Twitter

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi English

Release Date:

19 February 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Poder da Coragem

Box Office

Budget:

$2,900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$625,526, 21 February 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,535,234, 6 March 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bling Unplugged,Fox STAR Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is based on hijacked PanAm flight 73 on September 5th 1986.

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Goofs

When the 747 is on the Tarmac at Karachi, as one of the hijackers runs up the air-stairs you catch sight of the windows to the upper First Class cabin, there are 9 shown. In reality Pan Am 747's only had a row of three windows in the upper First Class cabin.

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Quotes

Neerja Bhanot: Do your duty, come what may. Never tolerate any injustice and never compromise on self-respect.

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Connections

References Amar Prem (1972)

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Soundtracks

Jeete Hain Chal
Written by Prasoon Joshi
Produced by Vishal Khurana
Performed by Kavita Seth, Arun Ingle, Mandar Apte, R.N. Iyer, Archana Gore, Mayuri Patwardhan, Pragati Mukund Joshi and Vishal Khurana

User Reviews

Sonam Kapoor's terrific hijacking drama will leave you teary-eyed

As everyone knows, Neerja is based on the brave airhostess who lost her life saving many others during the unforgettable Pan Am hijacking of 1986. When it comes to hijacking dramas, the first and the best film that comes to my mind is United 93, a terrifying drama set on the only flight that crashed on an empty paddock during the infamous 9/11 attacks. As far as I can remember, Bollywood's last attempt in this genre was the mediocre Shiny Ahuja film, Hijack. So it was with some trepidation that I went to watch Neerja, but in the end, I was simply bowled over!

The biggest positive I can say about the film, and I would want to say right at the start itself, the film never lets down the spirit of Neerja Bhanot. While Bollywood biopics have the tendency to put masala in stories of real life personalities, Neerja thankfully avoids that! If Neerja was a hero in real life, Ram Madhvani is the real hero of the film. It is to his credit that he has made such a compelling drama that will keep you on the edge of your seats. The entire hijacking situation is so brilliantly shot that you feel that you are a part of the life threatening drama. The tension you feel in the scenes are palpable, especially when the terrorists realise there is no hope for them and they become reckless. The docu style camera work heightens the sense of claustrophobia in you. The background score is tense and brilliantly done. But where Ram Madhvani actually scores is how he shot the final moments of Neerja's sacrifice – intense yet emotionally wrought. If those scenes don't bring tears from your eyes, your heart is definitely made of stone. Another thing that worked for the film is the casting. From the main leads to even the supporting ones, everyone has done Justice to their roles. The makers must be lauded for choosing relative new comers in the other roles, as it works in creating a sense of realism. The actors playing the terrorists totally look their part, especially the one playing Khalil. But the film would not have been what it is, if it was not for the film's main leads. Despite her limitations (her voice is still not so easy to adjust), Sonam is the heart and soul of the film. This is a role that she can show her detractors and ask them to just shut up! She is terrific, especially in the second half, where her eyes speak a lot, of fear, of courage. Shabana Azmi is great, as always and her final speech will definitely make you cry if you haven't started yet. Yogendra Tiku, who plays Sonam's father in the film, is another actor to look out for. In his debut film, composer Shekhar Ravjiani is pretty likable in his small role. Also, if a scene or two would have shown about how the Indian Government reacted to the situation, it would have been great.

Neerja's last words to her mother in the film is a famous Rajesh Khanna dialogue about Pushpa and her tears! Even though I hate them a lot, you just can't leave the hall with dry eyes! Aamir, you have more company in the crying club.

Go watch one of the best Hindi films made in recent times ASAP!