So last Friday Sonam Kapoor’s anticipated film ‘Neerja‘ has released.  It is a biopic on Neerja Bhanot.  Neerja was a model and air-hostess.  In September 1986, she was the head of the crew in the PAN AM flight from Mumbai to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt that was hijacked by terrorists at Karachi airport.  The pilots fled the flight after receiving signal from Neerja.  The terrorists kept the passengers as hostages for hours and demanded the Pakistan government to send them a pilot so that they could take the flight to Cyprus.  They wanted the release of some prisoners.  The film shows the plight of the passengers during these hours and the bravery that Neerja showed in the way she handled the situation.  The film stars Sonam in the lead role.  Shabana Azmi plays her mother.

So why this film becomes a must watch?  First reason is that this is a story which deserves to be told.  Very few people know about Neerja.  At the age of 23, she gave her own life to save the lives of many.  This pageant blog acknowledges that Neerja had the beauty of a Miss India.  However, her accomplishment is way beyond the beauty queens of India and  world at large.  She got recognition from governments of India, Pakistan and USA.  But she deserves a lot more.  The film is a perfect tribute.  The second reason for watching the movie is that it is actually quite outstanding.  Great direction, great screenplay, strong performances – these make the film very thrilling and gripping.  The film makes you cry too.  It is clearly one of the really good movies that Bollywood has produced in the past few years.

We are a pageant blog, but occasionally such exceptional things force us to go off-topic and appreciate them.  Neerja is totally worth a watch.  Sonam should thank her stars for getting this one; this is a role of a lifetime.

Image credits: Khaskhabar and Saharasamay websites