“During the shoot I had split-lip, bruises and hurt my back."
‘Fear gave her courage’, is the tagline of Bollywood biopic, Neerja.
Undoubtedly, the real-life heroine, Neerja Bhanot was a valiant young lady.
So bringing out those emotions on celluloid is a challenging yet privileged opportunity for Sonam Kapoor and the director, Ram Madhvani.
Post Raanjhanaa and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Sonam Kapoor is the star of the moment.
So far, she has proven to be a good actress. With Neerja, Sonam is set to evoke patriotism in our hearts.
DESIblitz brings you 5 reasons to watch the heroic Bollywood biopic, Neerja.
1. A Soul Stirring True Story
She looked fear in their eyes. She refused to blink. She was just 23.
Neerja Bhanot was a flight attendant, who lost her life while saving 359 lives from a hijack on the Pan Am flight 73, in Karachi.
As nail-biting and soul-stirring this situation was, the film promises to be a poignant yet gripping venture.
The most important message that seems to be conveyed here is that there is a Neerja in all of us.
We can all look fear in the eyes and combat it!
2. Sonam Kapoor
Post the fictional princess character in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Sonam Kapoor is set essay a real-life character for the first time.
In the making featurette of the film, Sonam states:
“During the shoot I had split-lip, bruises and hurt my back. Every time they [the acting hijackers] slapped or hit me, it would be for real.”
The actress was also tearful during the trailer launch of the film whilst answering a journalist’s question.
She describes: “By the end of the schedule, I can’t believe I get to leave this plane and she (Neerja) didn’t.”
Clearly, it has been a challenging journey for Sonam. Therefore, it seems that her performance as Neerja will be impactful!
3. Shabana Azmi
Similar to Sonam, this appears to be the first time Shabana Azmi-ji is essaying a real-life character.
In the movie she plays Neerja’s mother, Rama Bhanotji. In the video of making the film, she mentions:
“There’s a wonderful arc in the characterisation because starting from being a regular mother, she [Ramaji] rises above that to become a person who is able to overcome and embrace the larger experience of her daughter having sacrificed her life for the nation.”
Shabana-ji impressed the audience with her performance as a distraught rape-victim’s mother in Jazbaa.
We are certain that Shabana-ji’s performance will once again strike a chord with the audience.
4. Touching Music and Dialogues
Neerja’s music is composed by Vishal Khurana and the tracks are crooned by talented singers like Kavita Seth, Neha Bhasin, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shekhar Ravjiani.
The songs ‘Jeete Hain Chal’, ‘Gehra Ishq’ and ‘Aankhen Milayenge Darr Se’ have had a positive reception so far.
They may not have had millions of views on YouTube, but the tracks spark motivation to combat our deepest fears.
Furthermore, the lyrics in ‘Aisa Kyun Maa’, will make you teary-eyed and compel you to tightly embrace your mother: “Iski kundli mein likha tha, kul ka Deepak banegi yeh,” Shabanaji says in the trailer.
From this dialogue, one can expect some more sentimental yet thought-provoking lines throughout the film.
In fact, Sonam delivers a very interesting dialogue in the video song of ‘Jeete Hain Chal’: “Babumoshay, zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin.”
These lines (penned by Sanyukta Shaikh Chawla) will certainly depict the true spirit of Neerja’s life.
5. Heart-Warming and Patriotic to the Core
Akshay Kumar’s Airlift evoked feelings of patriotism from his character’s bravery and good-will.
Neerja Bhanot was awarded the Ashok Chandra in India, the ‘Tamgha-e-Insaaniyat’ in Pakistan and received the ‘Justice for Crimes’ award in Washington DC.
Therefore, the movie will inspire us to be fearless, humane and make us feel proud to be Desi!
Overall, from the talented star cast and touching music to the soul-stirring story, Neerja promises to be a gripping and emotionally-engaging film. Hence, the movie is highly anticipated!
Neerja releases from February 19, 2016.
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