O Poder da Coragem

As i have discussed before, there has been a change in Indian Audience's movie choices last few years. Indians have started to appreciate Contemporary Cinema and is separating slowly from its cliché filled days of musicals. Bollywood for last few years have been evolving into something bigger and better. The trend it seems is still going strong.

Another trend which has been set since last 4 or 5 years: We have had many movies with strong female lead, having feminist approach. From English Vinglish(2012) to Queen(2013) and from last year's Dil Dhadakne Do to Masaan. We have had so many movies with positive perspective of females. And that trend is still on with latest Neerja.

Director Ram Madhvani's debut feature film is a strong well acted biopic with emotions filled to its core. The Movie will leave many viewers teary eyed. I want to thank the whole cast and production team of Neerja for introducing me to the brave and fearless Neerja Bhanot. The Youngest recipient of India's highest Bravery Award for saving hundreds of lives in a plane hijack.

Sonam Kapoor blends right into the core of Neerja's character, this is clearly her best movie of the career leaving her acting in Raanjhana way behind. She plays the character of a flight purser of a Pan Am flight who is also a struggling model. Neerja has recently been divorced from an arrange marriage and is a huge Rajesh Khanna's fan. Her first flight as a purser gets hijacked by terrorists.

Another actor who has done a commendable job is Shabana Azmi, she is so compassionate as the mother of Neerja that you can feel the pain and loss through her character.

In its essence Neerja is not just a biopic, its a drama with thrilling ride of tension. Perfectly paced and well directed, the movie is a must watch. I have not discussed much because i do not want to spoil the ,movie for you. So go and watch it. Neerja- 9/10:Must watch www . filmicsite.wordpress .com

NEERJA: This is a Masterpiece, a movie that's going to be kept in the league of classics. It seldom happens that a Director achieves such a finesse in his first major project but Ram Madhvani, who has been directing award winning commercials for over twenty years, defies all conventions giving us an amazing experience that reminds us of the types of Dark Knight. The best thing Ram did is to keep the dialogs in each characters' native language that gives it a feel of real time cinema. The background music creates an ambiance of tension making you feel traveling in the same plane that got hijacked in Karachi in 1986. The cinematography is so real as if you are watching the events happen live. The dark shades ensure that colors don't snatch away the tense mood throughout. The sets, the interiors, the costumes, the make up are so real to recreate the time when this event happened. And above all, it is powerful performances by everyone in the frame that keeps you holding your breathe, that keeps you getting lumps in your throat, that makes your heart beat fast and at some times makes your eyes wet. Sonam Kapoor has unexpectedly given her not only career best performance but also one of the best Bollywood has witnessed over the years. Her body language, costumes, make up, expressions, and slang all look perfectly aligned with what could be expected out of the protagonist. Shabnana Azmi as her mother nails it down with her speech in the end. She proves that art is age defiant and she still can give audience the goosebumps. And the character that despite carrying no stardom yet succeeded to leave a strong impression on my mind is that of the anger dominated terrorist who reminded me about the Joker in The Dark Knight. His intense performance really deserves an applause for it is he who succeeds in making audience feel the terror the victims might have felt in reality. Too good a movie with perfection delivered in every aspect. No way it could have been even a little better than what it is. This one is going to stay a long time in my mind. DEFINITELY A MOVIE NOT TO BE MISSED FOR ANY REASON. RATING 10/10

Novice director Ram Madhvani has given emotional tribute to Indian daughter. Script was really brilliant. Good to see the inclusion of dialogues of KAKA's filmography like Zindgi badi(Big) honi chhaiye, Lambi nahi. Great narration of story using flashbacks. Performance wise this movie has the best performance of Sonam. Great contribution of Shabana as mother of Neerja. She was terrific through the cinema. Yogendra and Shekhar were good in small role. Jim Sarbh surprised the audience with role of eccentric terrorist. Neerja shown another dimension for Bollywood. This genre of cinema must need support from audience to survive and spread blossom across the world.

Without being a fan, I've seen some Bollywood films in the past few months. Not bad at all. But, this is by far the best of them. And, most difficult to achieve as a genre, thriller with a big plane hijack. True story. Very touching. I almost cried. And I'm not a guy who cries easily. Bollywood filmmakers are experts in tearjerker stories and they have a long tradition in melodrama(remember Raj Kapoor?) But, this is not, as usual, a fiction story, this is truth, it happened for real in 1986. Sonam Kapoor is very good in the title role, Neerja Bhanot, the heroine of the Pan Am flight 73. Then the actors interpreting the terrorists, they are all very natural and convincing, you feel like living that hijack, assisting those real terrorists in full action in front of you. Shabana Azmi, impressive as the mother of Neerja. There have been many movies, most of them made in USA, with the same subject, airplane hijacking: "Ransom" (1975), "Raid on Entebbe" (1977), "Airport" 77 "(1977), "Passenger 57 "(1992), " Con Air "(1997), " Air Force One "(1997), to name just a few. This one is better than all. It made me think also at "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975), directed by Sidney Lumet. Last but not least, Jim Sarbh, the actor who plays the terrorist Khalil, not only physically resembles very well Gian Maria Volonté in "For a Few Dollars More" (1965), but has something of his style of acting and his personality. One last thing, the real Neerja Bhanot, who gave her life to save 359 passengers, was also a model and, except for her inner beauty, was of a great outer beauty.

The story of Neerja Bhanot is one of courage in the face of grave danger. It is a story that needed to be told and should have been told much earlier. Sonam's acting capabilities will surely be silenced by her portrayal of Neerja. But there is room for improvement. Neerja epitomizes professionalism. There are moments in the second half where the plot seems to drag. But the climax is powerful and makes up for that. Very touchy scene in which she reads out a letter by her abusive husband. Azmi, gave a knock-out performance as Bhanot's mother. With hardly any sign of self-indulgence, Sonam gives a solid performance. Good screenplay by Saiwyn Quadras. Excellent direction by Directed Ram Madhvani. Much much better than Mary kom.

"A fact of life we all die. But the positive impact you have on others will be a living legacy. Catherine Pulsifer.