After giving his fans a delightful ‘Baby’ last year, the man on a mission, Akshay Kumar is back on the silver screens with his major treat called ‘Airlift’. The film which is rightly titled so, will definitely ignite your patriotic passion for the country, if not anything else.
Directed by Raja Krishna Menon, ‘Airlift’ tracks the world’s biggest civil evacuation operation in history. Akshay as Ranjit Katyal is the anchor of this ship called ‘Indians’ who need to sail smooth ashore. The film shows how exactly the Indians in Kuwait were evacuated or rather ‘airlifted’ safely after Saddam Hussein led Iraq war.
Nimrat Kaur plays Amrita Katyal, Ranjit’s wife and a mother to a young kid. She is a refined actress and yes this film should give a much deserved ‘airlift’ to her career. Ranjit is a powerful man in Kuwait, who is happy because he has money and knows how to make more; an influential businessman in Kuwait, who believes himself to be more of a Kuwaiti than an Indian, until the unthinkable happens.
Fate turns an ugly chapter when Saddam attacks Kuwait and the entire place becomes a living hell. Ranjit realises the worth of being an Indian only when he sees how a 16-year-old Iraqi soldier shoots his driver Nair in front of his eyes—and he stands helpless. The destructive bomb blasts, people dying on the roads and th brutal killing of humans are unfortunately the most ghory series of events to witness.The principal photography by Priya Seth is commendable, as we are taken into the era of 1990s war-hit Kuwait and the atrocities led by Saddam’s soldiers compel you to watch it with disgust. The supporting cast has been rightly chosen and they done a great job in keeping the audiences’ interest intact.
The music by Amaal Malik and Ankit Tiwari is soothing but in a film like this you really don’t need many songs. And thankfully, the director did take that into account. The background score is beautifully woven.
There is not a moment of disbelief while you watch how one man named Ranjit Katyal could try his best in evacuating 1,70,000 Indians safely back to our Motherland—India. And yes, with one Kuwaiti woman and her toddler as well. The story of Indians struggling in the war zone, which by the way was their ‘home away from home’ is not just thrilling but heavily inspiring.
Akshay is the hero of this film, hands down but not because he falls into the categorical space of what is defined as a hero’. He is the hero because he played a man, who in real life, stretch his boundaries for saving humanity. Akshay’s dedication and sincerity in portraying such roles with brilliance makes ‘Airlift’ have a safe landing even at the box office windows.
A must watch for every Indian. Remember this will make you believe in what Indians can do when ‘united’. It can be your January 26—Republic Day delight with family!
