NEERJA MOVIE REVIEW

Given that the movie is the biopic of Neerja Bhanot, the story revolves around a selfless flight attendant who sacrifices her life for the sake of the passengers on a hijacked plane. Ram Madhvani has managed to capture the essence and tone of the tale in a most appealing manner.

As the movie rolls on, it makes us yearn to be a part of the Bhanot family.  Be it the love or the rapport they share, everything is simply spot-on. The director throws light on the fact that simple things are important in the drama of life.

Sonam Kapoor has delivered a knockout performance while Shabana Azmi and Yogendra Tikku have also excelled in their performances as Neerja’s parents. Kapoor’s rapport and chemistry with Shabana is also worth mentioning. Their simple portrayal and raw energy drift through the frames and make you feel that you are one amongst them. The crew has managed to keep the focus undeterred on Neerja, which works out well in the second half.

Sonam Kapoor waltzes through the frames as an elegant figure and throws no airs or graces. She has carved Neerja’s ordeal with a keen eye to detail. Be it her body language or gestures, she oozes professionalism. The director has managed to imbibe tension through the framing and the sense of strength in Neerja’s character makes us proud.

Scenes from the abusive past blend well with the hijack ordeal. Sonam handles the twin narration like a piece of cake and the energy resonates from inside. The scenario will wake up the feminist in you like camphor to fire. Shekhar Ravjiani’s performance is adorable and brilliant. He’s portrayed as one of the guys who try to make it out of the friend zone (pun intended).

Though the violent sequences in the second half seems to etch on, the climax barb makes up for it easily. The director has managed to keep us engaged and there’s never a moment of yawning or rolling eyes.  We wish that the character sketch and detailing for the terrorists could have been given more depth instead of portraying them like a couple of duds.

Vishal Khurana has delivered his best and the songs give life to the screenplay. As a grief stricken mother Shabana’s performance in the last frame just nails it. Lack of draggy scenes and soapy sequences make the movie a delight to watch.