Airlift (2016) Review!!

Synopsis – In 1990, Iraq invades Kuwait, leaving approx 1,70,000 Indians trapped. This is a true story of how Ranjit Katyal and India facilitate the largest human evacuation.

My Take – Akshay Kumar is one of the most unique stars of Bollywood as he manages to make films both for the masses & the classes alike. For every Special 26 & Baby, he has Holiday & Gabbar is Back to back it up. And much like Ben Affleck‘s Argo (it may seem inspired, but its not), this latest Akshay Kumar outing is the celebration of human spirit. It is based on a highly improbable story that just couldn’t have been true, had it not been based on a real life event. Based during the Gulf war of 1990. Iraq acquired Kuwait, while causing ruthless slaughter of its citizens. More than 1.5 lakh of Indians were stranded in Kuwait; afraid, helpless, hungry, unable to escape from the catastrophic violence which was shaking the entire world. While the Government of India couldn’t care less about the its people who were crying out for help, an Indian businessman residing in Kuwait came forward at the assistance of his fellow countrymen. He gambled with his life, his family, his money; and managed to evacuate all the Indians safely. Air India, for this, holds a Guinness Book Record. If the story just gave you goosebumps, then this film is for you. This film by Raja Krishna Menon (Barah Aana) couldn’t be any better. With this film he has hit straight, deep down our hearts. An unmatched feat of diplomacy, co-ordination, and logistical effort, the evacuation is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise-blemished record of addressing the needs of migrant Indians caught in the cross-hairs of war. The operation required the involvement of scores minds at the top and the bottom of the diplomatic pyramid, including serving foreign minister IK Gujral, but the film claims that one and only one man was responsible: the fictional businessman Ranjit (Akshay Kumar), whose high-level contacts and humongous bank balance make it possible to spearhead the entire rescue. (Ranjit is described in the end credits as a composite of two real-life businessmen who helped with the operation.) The is a very deft movie made without any added dramatic effect and that is clearly visible in the way director Raja Menon has put together the movie. It is shot realistically and the detailing is impressive. There are no spiced up revelations, the lead protagonist doesn’t end up fighting his advisories. The film maintains a whiff of humanity throughout its run-time and it takes a lot of courage and ambition to tell such a lesser known story in such an ambitious manner. The story follows Ranjit Katyal (Akshay), an Indian business man who considers himself to be Kuwaiti and loves the extravagant lifestyle of the Middle East nation.

Ranjit lives with his wife Amrita (Nimrat Kaur), who seems to be primarily busy with their kid. But things quickly turn sour when one night in August 1990, the Iraqi army suddenly marches onto the streets and invade Kuwait. By a twist of fate, the lives of 170,000 Indians living in Kuwait takes a turn for the worst. In bargaining for safe passage for his wife (Nimrat Kaur) and daughter, the previously hard-headed Katyal finds himself negotiating for the safety of his employees, and gradually, for the entire Indian population in Kuwait. Soon, all 170,000 are holed up in a makeshift camp, with Katyal trying to stir the Indian authorities into action while keeping the Iraqis calm. The film chronicles the journey from the first day of invasion to the final climax where a timely Airlift by civil aircraft saves many lives. The film begins inauspiciously, with a desultory dance number that’s lifted from Cheb Khaled’s Didi in the first 10 minutes. Remarkably, director Raja Menon hardly puts a foot wrong after that. From the party, the scene shifts to a labor camp, with workers preparing for bed. Suddenly, there’s an explosion. The camera pulls out, and in a long, extended shot, we see fires burning and tanks rolling over the hill. This is Kuwait in 1990, and though the people there don’t know it yet, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq has just invaded. The film is one of the most realistically shot and detailed big budget human dramas we have seen in Bollywood. Even though the plot is one dimensional, there are multiple subplots that keep you engaged through the film. Raja Menon makes a honest effort to give the film a docu drama feel in the first half. A lot of work has gone into making Ras Al Khaimah look like Kuwait (which isn’t that tough a task given the similar landscapes), but full marks to the research team for creating the period. Everything from the props to the clothes to the visuals remind you of the 90′s when the attack happened. Menon inserts the right dose of wry humor and a few shocks along the way to build his film up gradually, hitting the right buttons for most of the time. When we first meet Ranjit, he is not yet in the mold of Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who saved the lives of over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories (and was the subject of a contested Steven Spielberg biopic), but he is getting there. Practical to a fault and a superb negotiator, Ranjit describes himself as a Kuwaiti rather than an Indian, and has mild contempt for the country he has long left behind. But Ranjit’s entrepreneurial skills come handy when Saddam Hussein orders his soldiers and tanks into the kingdom. The invasion puts the lives of several hundred thousand Indians of all classes in jeopardy, and reluctant Ranjit is transformed into a most enthusiastic messiah. He relocates his stricken fellow nationals to a refugee camp and takes on the delicate task of persuading a grubby-handed Iraqi general (Inaamulhaq) and the Indian government – represented, again, by a single caring bureaucrat (Kumud Mishra) – that these lives are worth saving. The general has already offered to protect Ranjit’s wife Amrita (Nimrat Kaur) and his daughter in exchange for money.

The film works very well if the paying public is willing to forget the actual facts of the operation. The smart screenplay, by Raja Menon, Suresh Nair, Ritesh Shah and Rahul Nangia, deftly lays out the characters of Ranjit and his initially reluctant wife, who cannot understand her husband’s sudden turn towards charity, and resists the temptation to fast-forward to the inevitably rousing nationalistic climax. The rescue operation follows a long and vexing attempt to shake the Indian government into action. The frustrations and false victories are explored at length, as if to remind viewers that in real life, rescue operations are far more mundane than the movies lead us to believe. Menon credibly creates a sense of a nation at war, and the decidedly non-flamboyant writing creates a convincing arc for Ranjit’s character to evolve from pragmatist to a super-hero. As sometimes happens when the overall picture is agreeable, little blips register more than they normally would. Prakash Belawadi is a welcome sardonic screen presence, but the needling character he’s playing has no real purpose beyond making Katyal seem even more like a saint. Inaamulhaq’s Iraqi major is a few beats away from Austin Powers. The songs, few as they are, have no business being there. That’s about it, though. This is how it ought to be more often—a mainstream movie with a list of grouses you can list on the fingers of one hand. Not to mention that this is a film destined to end with flag-waving (literal flag-waving, as it turns out) but one that is nonetheless shot through with a healthy dose of skepticism. It is Akshay Kumar‘s show all the way. A thumbs up to him for doing something different from his usual masala potboilers. Nimrat Kaur provides a very fine performance. Among the supporting cast, Purab Kohli & Kumud Mishra stand out. In a genre dominated by seasoned directors like Shoojit Sircar, Neeraj Pandey and Sriram Raghavan, Raja Menon manages to carve out a niche for himself by narrating the story from Ranjit Katyal’s point of view and inducing subtle themes of patriotism and dark humor which deliver enough punches to keep the story board ticking. On the whole, ‘Airlift’ is nail-biting, reality-based action thriller that is a commendable and laudable effort which deserves to be seen by all Indians on the occasion of Republic Day. It is made with humanity to tell a human story which could have turned out to be a tragedy. A few brave souls saved the lives of 170,000 people and it’s time more Indian directors started telling stories like this which tells Indian stories a midst a global scenario. If you are in the mood to be entertained, watch Airlift. If you are in the mood to be educated, watch Airlift. If you are in a patriotic mood, watch Airlift. You know what? Just watch Airlift. You’re not going to regret it.