Why Is Neerja Bhanot’s Family Planning To Sue ‘Neerja’ Makers?

Sonam Kapoor starrer Neerja, which revolved around the life of brave air-hostess Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life to save passengers during a plane hijack crisis, was lauded by critics and masses alike, but it now seems that the makers of the film may soon face some legal trouble.

The Bhanot family is miffed with the fact that the makers of the successful film did not honour their commitment to share 10 per cent of the box office collections with the Neerja Bhanot Trust and the family. Sources close to the Bhanot family said that the family is moving the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard and a legal notice has already been served on the makers of Neerja.

For those who do not know this, Neerja Bhanot gave up her life to save passengers during a terrorist-hijack of a Pan-Am flight at Karachi international airport in Pakistan on September 5, 1986. Neerja, who was the senior flight purser of Pan-Am 73 (Bombay-Karachi-Frankfurt-New York) flight, was killed in the shoot-out following the hijack. Palestinian terrorists from the Abu Nidal terrorist group had entered the aircraft posing as Pakistani Police personnel, carrying arms and hand grenades. The hijack had left 20 people dead and 150 others injured after a bloodbath at the Karachi airport. There were around 200 Indian passengers on the flight, of which 13 died while over 100 were injured. Following her act of bravery and supreme sacrifice, Neerja was given the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award for bravery, in 1987.

Wonder what Sonam and the makers of Neerja have to say about this now…