Neerja
2016 · Directed by Ram Madhvani
Original language: Hindi
- drama
- thriller
The story
Neerja is a portrayal on the life of the courageous Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on the Pan Am flight 73 in 1986. The flight was hijacked by a terrorist organization.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-washed interiors give way to cramped, sweat-lit cabin tension in this Indian biographical drama about a flight attendant during a 1986 hijacking. Much of the film is set in a tightly packed aircraft and the Karachi airport, shot with close, handheld framing that keeps faces and small hands in the frame, and the palette shifts from bright, familiar domestic gold and blue in the early scenes to stark fluorescent white and dull metal grey once the danger starts. The score leans on swelling strings and tense, pulsing percussion, with long stretches of tense silence broken by shouts and radio static. Pacing is steady and claustrophobic, with the dread building in waiting-room minutes rather than action set pieces. Violence is present and real: there are gunshots, threats against hostages and a tragic, emotionally harsh climax, though gore stays restrained. The emotional register is earnest, sorrowful and inspiring, following a young woman's courage and quiet resolve under extreme pressure. It suits a serious evening with someone who wants a heroic true story and can handle tension and grief. It is not for anyone seeking something gentle or light.
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