Airlift Movie Review: The 'Khiladi' Soars To New Heights

Akshay Kumar started off as an action-hero, graduated to comedy and then started wowing his fans with his dramatic roles and the Khiladi has been scoring brownie points with every movie that he has made.

After films like Special 26, Baby and Brothers, which allowed Akki to display his acting chops, Kumar comes up with another winner in Airlift, a film based on the biggest evacuation operation in the world.

Ranjit Katyal (Kumar) is a successful Indian businessman staying with his loving wife Amrita (Nimrat Kaur) and daughter in Kuwait. A shrewd operator and a canny negotiator, Katyal considers himself a Kuwaiti and has nothing but cynicism for his motherland.

When Iraq invades Kuwait in 1990 and Katyal loses everything overnight, his first thought is to escape with his family, but when it becomes apparent that his employees and other Indians are relying on him, Ranjit and a few intrepid souls decide to take it upon themselves to save the day.

Akshay Kumar impresses the hell out of us with his performance in the film and his Katyal is evidence of the fact that heroes are made, not born. His gradual transformation from a calculating businessman to a sensitive savior has been shown beautifully and the film will surely be a treat for fans of Kumar. Akshay has proved with this film that he can carry a film on his shoulders without throwing a single punch.

Nimrat too has done an excellent job as Katyal's wife Amrita, who is initially skeptical about her husband's sudden insistence on putting others before himself. Purab Kohli has done a decent job while Prakash Belawadi as the grumpy George Kutty is a delight to watch. Kumud Mishra, who plays a bureaucrat determined to help the stranded Indians, is quite impressive in his short role.

What makes Airlift a must-watch is the fact that the film has stayed true to its purpose. There is no unnecessary drama or speeches about patriotism or 'watan'. Raja Krishna Menon comes up with a crisp thriller, which is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. Though the Iraqi invasion happened years back, the film doesn't fail to convey the sense of desperation and fear that the Indians stranded in Kuwait must have faced and at the same time, doesn't waste too much of time explaining the politics behind the invasion as the story is primarily about the aftermath of the invasion for thousands of Indians making a living in Kuwait.

However, Airlift is not just a taut thriller and does send across a message about patriotism and unity without rubbing your nose in it. The background score and the cinematography does wonders for the plot and renders Airlift one of the most watchable films to have come out this year.