Evacuating nationals from the strife of a conflict zone is one of the major tasks for any country. While there have been many rescue operations undertaken by many countries in the past, the credit of carrying out the biggest ever air evacuation in the history of mankind goes to India.
It was 1990 when Air India entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of people evacuated by a civil airliner. The operation was carried out during Persian Gulf War to evacuate Indian expatriates from Kuwait and Iraq. The rescue operation lasted for 59 days where 488 flights from Amman to Mumbai travelled a distance of 4,117 kms to evacuate more than 170,000 civillians.
Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar’s latest thriller Airlift that hit the theatres last week is the story of this iconic evacuation.
The real story
In the film, Akshay Kumar plays the character of Ranjit Katyal, a fictional character. Since the day the trailer of Airlift was released, there has been a certain curiosity among people to know more about the hero behind the operation.
According to a research by the director of the film Raja Menon, it was not one but two persons who played the major roles in the evacuation—Sunny Mathews and Vedi. According to India TV reports, both had formed an unofficial committee and carried out the rescue operation.
The details about Vedi are unknown and vague while the granddaughter of Sunny Mathews recently shared a post on Facebook to offer her tribute to the real hero of the operation. Along with her post, Rhea Mathews has shared newspaper cuttings where he has been acknowledged as the ‘saviour’ and ‘messiah’ for his contribution to the operation. The post went viral and has been shared more than two thousand times by people, who are saluting Mathews for his courage and the work he did.
The reel story
Airlift is a human saga set in the backdrop of war-ravaged Kuwait in August 1990, when Saddam Hussein attacks and takes over Kuwait, rendering several thousand Indians homeless.
Akshay Kumar as Ranjit Katyal, the unsung hero, is sincere and portrays the character credibly. He is a self-absorbed businessman living in the lap of luxury one minute and a distraught family man the next. With equal ease, he brings out the frustration and fears of a helpless Indian in Kuwait trying to help his fellow countrymen.
Nimrat Kaur as his wife Amrita left a strong impact as she seems connected with her character throughout. The ensemble of actors, despite limited screen time, are the soul of the movie.
The legacy of Kuwait evacuation has been dramatised the untold story that few knew is now touching the heart of millions. We realise the sheer bravery involved of the many unsung heroes of the time and the exceptional effort by Air India the Government of India.
Owing to the predictability of the subject, the element of surprise for the viewer is very little. But the performances and the human pathos keep the viewers stuck to their seats.
Priya Seth's cinematography of the war scenes and destruction is praiseworthy, as she recreates the anguish and fears of the stranded Indians, right before your eyes, enabling you to relive those moments.
The film recreates the vulnerability of Indians and their indefatigable spirit with aplomb along with displaying a spectrum of human emotions in the hour of crisis.
With minor flaws that can be overlooked, Airlift is a well-made film that would definitely appeal to patriotic Indians. A must watch we say.
Here are the excerpts of interviews with the leading stars of the film -
Akshay Kumar
Q. In the times when online views of the First Look as well as the response from social media clearly defines which way the film is heading, you must be thrilled with the overwhelming start, isn't it?
A. I am definitely thrilled, but I’m also a pragmatic man. It is by far a response beyond what I could have even hoped for. For that is when something really means something, when you don’t expect or demand such a response, when the people themselves without you thrusting it down their throats, when they make up their own minds in their own time, that is when an actor feels the warmth of his work. No matter what happens from here, whether many come to experience this journey in full force or not, at least I’ll know they liked the thought of it. Now it will take not only my star power and the script itself, but the interest of the Nation and its people if they really care to learn about India’s brave recent history, and the strength of its people when push comes to shove.
Q. How do you define success for a film?
A. I’ve reached that stage where the success of a film doesn’t mean as much to me as the interest or the appreciation it can earn wholeheartedly. Not all Blockbusters are worthy, I say that from my own experience, as wonderful as it is to break records, there are very few that make it into the ‘Cult Club’ forever. These are so precious and rare, no one can dish out a ‘Cult’ every year. I’m happy making films that intrigue, excite, entertain people while I search for my next Hera Pheri Waqt or Namaste London.
Q. If faced with the same situation as Ranjit Katyal, what would you have done?
A. Well, let’s just say that in Airlift, I was in fact playing a businessman version of myself. I’m an extremely protective man, if something like this disaster was to ever happen again, I hope to be that man in real life that provides the kind of safety people are looking for. The best part about this film is it makes you want to be that man as well.
I know I can’t stop bad circumstances from happening to my people, but I want to think I can help them once the shit storm does hit, like what I do for my women’s self-defence in Mumbai, I can’t stop men from attacking innocent women, but I will try to train as many as I can to defend themselves if they ever do. The Maharastrian farmers, I can’t make their crops grow, but I can support them enough not to end their lives if it happens to be a bad harvest. God made my hands strong enough so I could hold others in their hour of need. I don’t want to just be an on screen hero, I want my kids to know it takes real action to be a real hero, not just defeating bad guys, but defending as many good along the way.
Nimrat Kaur
Q. How was it working with Akshay Kumar, how is he as a co-star?
A. Akshay Kumar is a huge star, so I was, of course, intimidated and nervous before meeting him. But having worked with him, I know he’s such a good actor and one of the most wonderful persons I have met till date. He made me feel comfortable and I really enjoyed working with him.
Q. Why has it taken this long for you to do a second film?
A. I was half a year away for American tele series Homeland, which took a lot of my time. And then when I came back, it just so happened that I didn’t like the scripts that I was offered, or the ones I liked didn’t take off at the right time. So it was just a matter of chance that I had a two year gap.
Q. When did you decide to become an actor?
A. I don’t think that you wake up one day knowing you want to become an actor. I don’t have anyone in my family who is an artist as ours is an academically inclined family. So just admitting out loud that I want to become an actor did not come easy.