Airlift (2016) (Movie Review)

Dir: Raja Krishna Menon
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur
Dur: 1 hr 45 mins
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 9/10

When I first heard about Airlift I was so eager to watch it. The story caught my attention and I was curious to know how Bollywood would dramatize the story. My experience with Bollywood cinema is that they either over-dramatize or misrepresent the facts. I was happy to note however that neither of these was the case in Airlift.

Airlift tells the bold story of a man who was willing to put his life on the line to help his fellow countrymen escape the terrors of war in a foreign land. When Iraq went to war with Kuwait lakhs of Indians were left stranded on foreign soil with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Their lives were in danger and their belongings had to be left behind. Somehow they drew close together and Ranjit (Akshay Kumar) emerged as leader. Things didn’t progress smoothly and after repeated attempts that courted danger and failure, he, along with those who helped him, managed to ‘airlift’ over 2 lakh Indians out of Kuwait and into the safe arms of Mother India. The underside of Indian politics shows its ugly head and the real concerns of the country are also unabashedly proclaimed. The film is educative, entertaining, thrilling and inspiring all at once, and this is what really fascinated me.


Akshay is a strong character and carries the film well. He is ably supported by the other actors and if this film is a success it is because of the fantastic performances of the entire cast. There was hardly a weak character and the director needs a big hand of appreciation for doing so well with his actors. The film is a must watch and can be classified as a patriotic film as well. The message goes across strongly: ‘Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country’! 

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