Srijani Chatterjee

In September 1986, Neerja Bhanot saves the lives of 359 passengers on a hijacked Pan Am plane from Mumbai to New York via Karachi. That she gets caught in the crossfire is a tragedy. We know nothing about anyone else on this plane apart from Neerja. And yet, she is never positioned as an obvious heroic figure. We see her struggle with her fear. Flashbacks of her abusive, failed marriage are woven in but with minimal melodrama. Sonam Kappor:s beautifully potraid the character neerja. There are no theatrics; she’s dignified, strong and real. Shabana Azmi(Rama) as mother of Neerja gives us heart warming moments.Like most Indian mothers, Rama is overprotective and fussy but she is also warm and wise and ultimately heartbreaking. Yogendra Tiku lends able support and Khalil as the maniacal terrorist is terrific. Vishal Khurana's music is pleasing to the ears. Jeete Hai Chal stays with one long after the film ends. The songs don't hamper the pace of the story.