Feb 26, 2016 06:57 PM
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I went to watch this movie because everybody on social media has been going ga-ga over Sonam Kapoor of late. I was mildly disappointed but I won't say that it's bad. It is a one-time watch.
Neerja is the story of a PanAm head purser named Neerja Bhanot who gave up her life and bravely saved the lives of 350-odd people in a plane hijack by a Pakistani terror outfit. The role of the pampered, genuine, bubbly, lovely and loving air-hostess was tailor-made for Sonam Kapoor. She does most of it, the bubbly parts at any rate, with some deftness. Where she fails is the emotionally-charged moments. There is a scene where she must come to terms with the unenviable role that has been thrust upon her and has to embrace courage. This has some relevance to her life, because her flashbacks reveal that she's been in that position before, a position where she has to choose between doing nothing, and risking everything to change things. In both situations she chose to be courageous. But, somehow, when Sonam enacts it, the moment loses its gravity. In the hands of a greater actress, that scene would have been more impactful. Shabana Azmi as the mother is, as you'd expect, great. Shekhar Ravjiani as the subdued boyfriend is delightful, and leaves his impression on a rather short role. The father's role could have been performed better by someone like Naseeruddin Shah.
The story is a great one, the protagonist even greater. And a biopic telling this story should have been more engaging. I would recommend watching it once, but you can watch it when it premiers on TV. You don't have to go to the movie theater to enjoy this one.
