Airlift (film)

Airlift
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Raja Krishna Menon
Produced by	Nikhil Advani Monisha Adwani Aruna Bhatia Madhu G. Bhojwani Bhushan Kumar Krishan Kumar Vikram Malhotra
Written by	Raja Krishna Menon Suresh Nair Rahul Nangia Ritesh Shah
Starring	Akshay Kumar Nimrat Kaur
Music by	Songs: Amaal Mallik Ankit Tiwari Background score: Arijit Dutta
Cinematography	Priya Seth
Edited by	Hemanti Sarkar
Production company	Abundantia Entertainment Cape of Good Films Emmay Entertainment Hari Om Entertainment T-Series
Distributed by	Prateek Entertainment
Release dates	21 January 2016 (2016-01-21) (Dubai) 22 January 2016 (2016-01-22) (India)
Running time	125 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	₹30 crore (US$4.5 million)
Box office	est. ₹231.60 crore (US$34 million)

Airlift is a 2016 Indian film directed by Raja Krishna Menon, starring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur. The script, written by Raja Krishna Menon developed the idea after studying the whole incident of the war, and which he subsequently expanded. The film follows Ranjit Katyal (Akshay Kumar), a Kuwait-based businessman, as he carries out the evacuation of Indians based in Kuwait during the Invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

With a budget of ₹30 crore (US$4.5 million), the film premiered worldwide on 22 January 2016. The marketing of the film played an important role in the film's promotion and collaborated with the flight company Air India, who had a major contribution in the evacuation of record-breaking number of Indians during the war.

Airlift was theatrically released on 22 January 2016, with an international premiere being held on 21 January.

Plot

The film opens in Kuwait, August 1990, with Indian businessman Ranjit Katiyal (Akshay Kumar) clinching a business deal with the Emir of Kuwait. Katiyal is a ruthless businessman who will go to any lengths to make a profit. He is successful and well connected in Kuwait and Iraq and calls himself a Kuwaiti and is generally derisive towards Indians. He has a well-appointed mansion in Kuwait and makes a happy home with his wife Amrita (Nimrat Kaur) and little daughter Simu.

Late that evening he receives a word that Iraq has attacked Kuwait. He explains that Iraq and Kuwait have had tense relations: Iraq owes a large dollar debt to Kuwait and Saddam has urged the Kuwaiti establishment to reduce oil supply so prices can rise. When Kuwait refused and remained defiant Saddam ordered the attack. At this point, Katiyal believes the attack is one of the many minor border skirmishes. He asks Amrita to take the child away to London for a few days until things cool down.

In short order he discovers Iraqi soldiers are overrunning Kuwait and plundering the city and indiscriminately targeting and murdering Kuwaiti citizens. Katiyal and Nair, his Indian driver, drive to the Indian Embassy. They are stopped by angry teenage Iraqi soldiers and when Nair begins pleading in Arabic he is shot dead. Katiyal manages to reach the Embassy. The consul, a friend of Katiyal, explains that the Kuwaiti government has fled and Kuwaiti money is now worthless. The 170,000 Indians in Kuwait are now refugees until India decides its policy.

Katiyal is pulled out at a checkpost and taken to the Emir palace. Iraqi Major Khalaf (Inaamulhaq) is now in charge. He chides Katiyal for not remembering him from his previous visits to Iraq. He explains that Iraq has always enjoyed good relations with India and now he extends his own personal friendship to Katiyal by which he means Katiyal should transact business with him; business now includes supplies, transport out of Kuwait and anything else that may be needed. Katiyal hurries home; his mansion is looted but his wife and child are safe at his office. Katiyal meets with his friends and one of them owns a supermarket. After some initial confusion, he manages to convince them to stay together. A makeshift camp is set up at a nearby school and some 500 Indians move in. Amrita urges Katiyal to use his clout to extricate his own family but Katiyal, who ordinarily would have just looked to himself, appears to have a change of heart.

Katiyal decides to stay and help others get out. He eventually discovers that the Indian Embassy has been evacuated as well. He phones the Indian External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi where he reaches Joint Secretary Kohli who, as is common in the Ministry, redirects him to another officer. As Katiyal is trying to reach someone the camp is looted by Iraqi soldiers. Katiyal reaches the Major who explains that his soldiers need food and may return again. The Major also reveals that Saddam has already permitted Indians to leave Kuwait. Katiyal goes to Baghdad to try and set up a way out of Kuwait.

Arriving in Baghdad Katiyal discovers that the Indian Embassy is of no help. The consul explains that they cannot issue passports since many others – Bangladeshis – use war as a convenient excuse to claim Indian nationality. Kuwaitis in Iraq have also fled. The only remaining option, Iraqi Foreign Minister Aziz is somewhat helpful. He is a friend of Katiyal and is sympathetic to the cause. He discloses that an Indian merchant ship is due to arrive in Iraq and he will tacitly permit the 500 Indians to leave on the ship. But as soon as the buses are loaded and ready to leave Katiyal receives the news that there is a UN embargo and ships are barred from entering or leaving Iraq. One of Katiyal's cantankerous employees rails against him. Amrita comes to his defense and after a loud argument, everyone is resolutely supportive of Katiyal.

Katiyal continues to keep in touch with the Indian Ministry officer Kohli but Kohli is somewhat of a sluggard. But when his own father recounts their tale of woe during the partition of India, Kohli awakens and begins to actively petition the Minister. The Minister, half in frustration and half in agreement, asks Kohli to handle it. Kohli approaches Air India (then national airline) and orchestrates an evacuation of the 170,000 Indians in Kuwait.

Katiyal bluffs and threatens the Major to get him to let them leave. Kohli pleads and wrangles the Indian establishment to get the Amman Embassy to issue permits. When Katiyal finally loads up the Indians and leaves he encounters hostile Iraqi soldiers who stop him at a border checkpoint and threaten to kill Amrita. Katiyal fights them off when he finds the Indian contingent right behind him. The Iraqi soldier drops his weapons and lets them pass. They all arrive in Jordan and the Amman Embassy receives word in the nick of time to let them leave for India. Kohli has successfully negotiated safe passage of all the Indians. Air India supplies the planes and the pilots, previously unwilling to fly over war zones, have had a change of heart towards their brethren. The Indian tricolor is hoisted over the Jordan airport and the film ends as the Indians salute Katiyal as they board the planes that will take them home.

Cast

• Akshay Kumar as Ranjit Katyal, (based on Mathunny Mathews)
• Nimrat Kaur as Amrita Katyal
• Inaamulhaq as Major Khalaf bin Zayd
• Feryna Wazheir as Tasneem
• Lena as Deepti Jayarajan
• Purab Kohli as Ibrahim Durrani
• Prakash Belawadi as George Kutty
• Kumud Mishra as Sanjeev Kohli
• Arun Bali as Kohli's father
• Ninad Kamat as Kurien
• Nissar Khan as Ashok
• Kaizaad Kotwal as Behram Poonawalla
• Gunjan Malhotra as Meher Poonawalla
• Surendra Pal as External Affairs Minister
• Pooja Nair as Preethi

Production

Development

According to director Raja Krishna Menon, he wrote the script after studying the whole incident of war and the predicament of Indians based in Kuwait. He then approached Akshay Kumar for the role of a character based on Mathunny Mathews, the real life businessman who spearheaded the evacuation efforts named 'Ranjit Katyal', to which he agreed to act and produce under his banner of Hari Om Entertainment. Kumar felt that the film possessed significant offbeat potential, with a good amount of "patriotism" and a reason to be a proud Indian. He stated that Balraj Sahni's role in the film Waqt (1965) is his inspiration for the role where an earthquake shatters the peaceful life of Sahni's character.

Due to the film's theme based on rescue operation, the film was compared with Ben Affleck-starrer Argo (2012) sharing the similar storyline. However, Kumar stated that the film does not have any connection with it and is completely based on a true story. He also said that comparing the film with Argo is an "insult" and it is not a matter of humour for Indians to achieve this end. Kumar reported that his 80% profit share will be included in the film's budget and he would not charge fees for the same.

Filming

Principal photography was started on February 2015. The first schedule of the film was reportedly shot in Al-Hamra Palace Beach Resort and Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates in early March 2015. The sets were re-created to depict Kuwait during 1990. The second schedule of the film was shot in Bhuj, Gujarat and Rajasthan, India. Kumar and Purab Kohli reportedly learnt Arabic language for their roles. Final portions of the film were completed with shooting of a music video for the song "Soch" in December 2015.

Release

Airlift was released with the total number of 1,800 to 2,000 screens in India, compared to Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 which got released with 2,000 to 2,500 screens. Overseas, including Middle East, the film released with total number of 70 screens on 21 January. The film had its highest opening in Emirates with the amount of AED 900,000, breaking the records of widest released film. The film earned ₹12.35 crore (US$1.8 million) during its first day run on 2,500 screens in India. Airlift collected Rs ₹83.50 crore (US$12 million) in total during the first week, reports film analyst Taran Adarsh.

Criticism by Indian government officials

The portrayal of diplomats and bureaucrats in the film was criticized by present and former officials in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. K. P. Fabian, who was the Joint Secretary of the Gulf division at the Ministry during the Gulf War in 1990, accused the film of deliberately spreading misinformation about the role of government officials at the time.

Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted that the film was great entertainment but short on facts while the Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao tweeted that the film fell completely short in its research on the role of the Ministry in the '90-'91 Gulf War.

Kuwaiti Ban

While initially slated for release, Airlift was eventually banned from cinemas in Kuwait for undisclosed reasons.

Music

Airlift
Soundtrack album by Amaal Mallik, Ankit Tiwari
Released	24 December 2015 (2015-12-24)
Recorded	T-Series Studios
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Length	22:14
Language	Hindi
Label	T-Series

The soundtrack for Airlift was composed by Amaal Mallik and Ankit Tiwari and the lyrics were written by Kumaar. The first song "Soch Na Sake" was released on T-Series official YouTube channel on 17 December 2015. The full soundtrack album which includes 5 songs was released on 24 December 2015. The music rights are acquired by T-Series.

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Soch Na Sake"	Kumaar	Amaal Mallik	Arijit Singh, Tulsi Kumar, Amaal Mallik	04:40
2.	"Dil Cheez Tujhe Dedi"	Kumaar	Ankit Tiwari	Ankit Tiwari, Arijit Singh	04:31
3.	"Mera Nachan Nu"	Kumaar	Amaal Mallik	Brijesh Shandilya, Divya Kumar, Amaal Mallik	03:42
4.	"Tu Bhoola Jise"	Kumaar	Amaal Mallik	K.K.	04:31
5.	"Soch Na Sake (Solo Version)"	Kumaar	Amaal Mallik	Arijit Singh	04:41
Total length:					22:14

Critical reception

Critic Taran Adarsh was impressed with the film and admired its narration, rated the film four and half stars out of five. He stated in his tweet, "Airlift is taut, engrossing, leaves a hammer-strong impact. Raja Krishna Menon is a director to watch out for. Deserves brownie points. #Airlift is a must must watch. One of the finest films to come out of the Hindi film industry. Just do not miss this one!" Bollywood Hungama gave the film four and half stars, stating "On the whole, Airlift is a classic film based on a real-life incident that is told extremely well on screen. It is surely one of the best films to come out this year and will pick up with a strong word of mouth. Just do not miss this one!". Ananya Bhattacharya of India Today also rated the film four and half stars out of five, terming the film as "gritty, edge-of-the-seat and heart-stopping" and stated "Airlift is a tale of unmatched heroism. In all, Airlift is the story of unparalleled courage and unsung heroes. From unknown names in the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi to people who had their Indianness rearing its head from within just when it was required, Airlift is un-miss-able. Go watch it." Srijana Mitra Das from The Times Of India gave the film 4 stars out of 5 praising its direction and wrote "Airlift has one of Akshay Kumar's best performances – along with other sterling acts. Certain cameos are outstanding. Airlift's scale is impressive and editing (Hemanti Sarkar) deft." Writing for NDTV, Saibal Chatterjee also gave it four stars and stated, "Airlift is a rare megastar vehicle that derives obvious benefits from the lead actor's magnetism without subjugating itself to the need to make the most of his presence in the cast. Airlift is a film that every Indian, and every Bollywood buff despairing for genuinely high-quality storytelling, must watch." Shubha Shetty Saha writing for Mid-Day felt that the film is "Akshay Kumar's best till date', awarded the film four stars and commented, "Menon's deft execution of the plot in hand, crisp editing (Hemanti Sarkar), dialogues which are perfectly tailored for the script, and good cinematography (Priya Seth) make this film a must watch. Don't miss it."

Anupama Chopra from Hindustan Times rated the film three and a half star out of five, and described it as "Akshay Kumar's finest hour" and wrote "Big props to Akshay for putting his heart and might behind such an unconventional project, and to director Raja Krishna Menon for showcasing a story that had been lost on the sidelines. But Airlift never takes full flight because of the screenplay. Airlift is tonally inconsistent but the film is fuelled by a palpable sincerity. Ritika Handoo of Zee News also gave it three and half stars out of five and termed Akshay as the "hero" of this film. She stated, "Akshay as Ranjit Katyal is the anchor of this ship called 'Indians' who need to sail smooth ashore. The film shows how exactly the Indians in Kuwait were evacuated or rather 'airlifted' safely after Saddam Hussein led Iraq war. Akshay is the hero because he played a man, who in real life, stretch his boundaries for saving humanity. Akshay's dedication and sincerity in portraying such roles with brilliance makes 'Airlift' have a safe landing even at the box office windows. A must watch for every Indian. Remember this will make you believe in what Indians can do when 'united'." Shubhra Gupta in her review for The Indian Express also gave the film three and half stars and noted " ‘Airlift’ plays it right, and gives us drama, even if things slow down and turn a trifle repetitious post interval. But overall, ‘Airlift’ is a good film, solidly plotted, well executed and well-acted. Just lose the songs, and the occasional underlined background music the next time." Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN gave the film three and half stars, saying "The occasional speed bumps aside, there are many moments that soar. Raja Menon turns an important story into a compelling film. Don’t miss it. Arkadev Ghoshal of IBTimes India gave it three and half stars and stated, "Airlift" is probably a good release for the weekend preceding Republic Day, when patriotic sentiments are high. However, one only wishes that Menon had given a little more attention to some other aspects of the film. He does show promise, so here's expecting better cinema from him." Sukanya Verma of Rediff also gave it three and half stars and termed the film as "taut, tense, terrific" and summarised, "Oh what a beauty Akshay's performance is. Old-school gallantry, contemporary tone, his measured delivery is the soul of and savior in Airlift. Larger-than-life might is commonplace, but larger-than-life intensity is rare. Here, it is unmistakable, unceasing."

Surabhi Redkar from Koimoi gave three stars praising Akshay's performance and noted, "Airlift is definitely a one-time watch since it is a story of an unsung hero and also India’s proud moment. Akshay Kumar certainly gives an impressive performance." Sarita A Tanwar of DNA also gave the film three stars and stated, "A spirited effort and Akshay Kumar's performance are the highest points of 'Airlift'. Subhash K. Jha of SKJBollywoodNews also gave the film four and half stars and stated, "Airlift is first and foremost a heart-stopping thriller. It’s the story of a man whose heroism is awakened in the hour of crisis".

The film was declared tax free by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar state governments on 28 January and 17 February 2016.

See also

• 1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait
• Invasion of Kuwait
• Iraq–Kuwait relations

External links

• Airlift at IMDb
• Airlift at Rotten Tomatoes
• Airlift at Bollywood Hungama