The sight of the tricolor unfurling before the victorious hero is one that has characterised many a Bollywood movie. And yet, very few manage to evoke genuine emotion even after resorting to lofty dialogue and (ear-shattering) patriotic background music.

But in Raja Krishna Menon’s “Airlift”, that moment is beautifully captured.

Akshay Kumar, in a departure from brain dead comedies, brings to life a man who must let go of his arrogance to fight a battle where rules change by the minute. It’s Akshay’s most honest portrayal till date, where he lets his eyes and silences do the talking.

It is several steps ahead of Kumar’s other recent January releases, Baby (2015) and Special 26 (2013), and deserves all the box-office it can get. The bar has been raised and it’s about bloody time.

Where ‘Airlift’ perhaps stumbles is its over-simplicity in handling some of the proverbial landmines strewn in its path; and Inaamulhaq’s Arab accent as an Iraqi major is quite laughable.
But such trivialities are best ignored when you look at the grand picture. In this particular case, ‘Airlift’ takes off with minimum turbulence at the cinemas this week.

Akshay Kumar nails the role of an unsung hero in this heart-stopping thriller…

Airlift is an entertaining film which will be liked by the classes and family audiences. That it tackles a subject not many are aware of is a major plus point because that keeps the audience’s interest alive from the start till the end. It has emotional and patriotic value and will, therefore, prove to be a plus fare for its producers and a safe bet/earning proposal for its various distributors.

Airlift is one of Akshay Kumar’s best works. The actor carries the film on his shoulders and his performance is one of its highlights. Also, the film is a gripping portrayal of the biggest human evacuation in history. The plight of the helpless refugees comes across on screen, and if you’re heading to the movies this weekend, make Airlift your first choice. 

This is how it ought to be more often–a mainstream movie with a list of grouses you can list on one hand. Not to mention a film that’s destined to end with flag-waving–literal flag-waving in this case–but is also shot through with a healthy dose of scepticism.

Filmmaker Raja Krishna Menon fashions a taut, engaging feature film out of an incident which would, on paper, appear to be more worthy of a documentary.

Airlift soars on its own merits, but it is ultimately a flight of fantasy.