Sonam Kapoor starrer "Neerja", which is a story of braveheart fight attendant Neerja Bhanot, has received immense appreciation from India as well as abroad. Bollywood celebrities and moviegoers could not stop praising the trailer of the film, which was released in mid-December.
"Neerja" is a story of braveheart air hostess Neerja Bhanot who was shot dead while saving passengers of the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73. Neerja helped 359 of the total 379 passengers on board the ill-fated Mumbai-New York flight when terrorists shot her on 5 September, 1986.
More than 200 survivors of the ill-fated flight thanked the makers of the film for making a biopic on the braveheart, who became the youngest recipient of the Ashok Chakra -- India's highest peacetime military award.
Among the 200-odd survivors was the daughter of one of the pilots, who has penned an emotional letter describing the 48 hours when the flight was hijacked. Nicole Thomas Fredrick, daughter of one of the pilots, praised Neerja in her letter and said that she is waiting to watch the film.
The touching letter penned by Fredrick reads:
The film's trailer brings out the intense emotions that were going on at that time. I remember everything that happened in those 48 hours and this stirred up a lot of feelings for me again. My father would only grant interviews as long as it was about the heroism of Neerja. Pilots were extensively trained to evacuate the aircraft for negotiating power. In 1986, terrorists didn't know how to fly airplanes, so that was a bargaining tool to buy time. She did a lot to save the lives of Americans (specifically) and I will always remember that. I can't wait to see the film. Hopefully, it will release where I live.
Directed by Ram Madhvani, Sonam portrays the character of the 23-year-old flight attendant. The film also features Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Ravijani in supporting roles. "Neerja" will hit screens on 19 February.
