Bollywood has produced many films that centered around the aviation or airlines. These films have been an emotional storytelling or have been action thriller films, or historical dramas and romantic narratives often that have showcased the bravery of the main lead , the hero who faces the catastrophe or reduces the impact of airborne crisis and its impact .
Bollywood films no doubt are more dramatic as it may seem to be in real but it has explored the various aspects in the films with themes that have ranged from plane crashes to hijacking to rescuing operations during a war situation or a disaster that may have been.
Aerial Action: Bollywood’s Best Aviation Films
A plane crash is a harsh reality, unlike Bollywood’s typical happy endings. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
Here’s a list of some of the most famous Bollywood films in this genre.
Some of the films that focused on airline themes in hijackings and rescue stories are from real life events.
Flight of Fancy: Bollywood’s Aviation-Themed Movies
1 Sonam Kapoor plays the lead role of Neerja Bhanot in the 2016 biographical thriller “Neerja”, which tells the story of the brave flight attendant who sacrificed her life to save passengers during the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73.
2.Hijack released in 2008 was an action thriller film which was based on the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814. Kunal Shivdasani writes and directs the film, starring Shiney Ahuja and Esha Deol.
3.Zameen released in 2003 is an action thriller film is loosely based on the Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking. The film starred Ajay Devgn Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu in the directorial debut by Rohit Shetty.
Bollywood’s Turbulent Skies: Films That Take Flight
- Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur star in Airlift, a 2016 political thriller film. Airlift” starring Akshay Kumar, based on the true story of evacuating Indians from Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion.
- “Runway 34” starring Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan, and Rakul Preet Singh, inspired by a real aviation incident involving Jet Airways flight 9W-555.Ajay Devgn adapts some scenes from Hollywood films like Flight (2012) and Sully (2016) to bring this story to life.
Takeoff to Turbulence: Bollywood’s Aviation Movies
6. Ranjit M. Tewari directs Bell Bottom, a 2021 action thriller film written by Aseem Arrora and Parveez Sheikh. Vashu Bhagnani, Jacky Bhagnani, and Deepshikha Deshmukh produce the film under their banners, collaborating with Nikhil Advani’s production house. Akshay Kumar stars in the pivotal role, alongside Lara Dutta and Huma Qureshi. The film draws inspiration from the real-life hijacking of Indian Airlines Flights 423, 405, and 421 by Khalistan terrorists in the 1980s.
7.IB71 released in 2023 is a spy thriller film based on the 1971 Indian Airlines hijacking , directed by Sankalp Reddy. Starring Anupam Kher, Vidyut Jammwal ,Vishal Jethwa and Faizan Khan. IB72 is a debut film produced by Vidyut Jammwal.
High-Flying Drama: Bollywood Films on Aviation
8. Vibhu Puri writes, directs, and produces Hawaizaada, a 2015 film backed by Reliance Entertainment. The film “Hawaizaada” draws inspiration from Shivkar Bapuji Talpade’s life, showcasing his innovative achievement of building and flying an unmanned, heavier-than-air aircraft in 1895. With Ayushmann Khurrana, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Sharda in starring roles, the movie highlights Talpade’s pioneering work. Notably, “Hawaizaada” was declared tax-free in Uttar Pradesh.
9.Sarfira a 2024 drama film is a remake of Tamil film Soorarai Pottru in 2020. The film is an adaptation of the memoir Simply Fly :A Deccan Odyssey. A story of a man who sets to make affordable airlines for low-income group. He goes through lot of challenges due to his own enemies who want to dampen his project. Produced by 2D Entertainment, Abundantia Entertainment and Cape of Good Films, starring Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Radhika Madan.
Turbulent Tales: Bollywood’s Aviation Adventures
10.Flight is a 2021 aviation thriller film released in April 2021, is directed by Suraj Joshi and is produced by Crazy Boyz Entertainment Production. Starring in the film are Mohit Chadda, Pavan Malhotra and Zakir Hussain. The film is about a journey of Ranveer Malhotra who against all odds has to face deadly obstacles . The aircraft is manufactured by Ranveer’s company which has crashed leading to the death of passengers. Ranveer decides to investigate the case himself and uncover the truth.
11. Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha direct Yodha, a 2024 action thriller film written by Ambre. Amazon Prime Video, Dharma Productions, and Mentor Disciple Entertainment produce the film, starring Sidharth Malhotra, Raashii Khanna, and Disha Patani. This film marks Shashank Khaitan’s first collaboration with Sidharth Malhotra. A disgraced commando sets out to redeem himself by thwarting a potential airplane hijacking, while also seeking to clear his name and regain his former glory.
12.Gunjan Saxena, 2020 biographical drama film directed by Sharan Sharma , is produced by Dharma Productions and Zee Studios. Janhvi Kapoor essays the titular role of Gunjan Saxena, the Indian Air Force Pilot , the first woman to fly in a combat zone during the Kargil war alongside of Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi in the supporting roles. The main role was to evacuate the wounded from Kargil and transport supplies and assist in the surveillance.
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