She was just 23 when she sacrificed her life to save a group of American children aboard a Pan Am flight that had been hijacked on the ground at Karachi. Now, Chandigarh girl Neerja Bhanot, the senior most cabin crew member on the flight, is to be immortalised in a biopic featuring Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor.
The shooting of the film, which began recently in Mumbai, has got both Sonam Kapoor and Neerja’s family in Chandigarh quite excited.
“We are excited by the film on Neerja. The producers have done a lot of research about the project. They got in touch with us about two years back,” Neerja’s brother Aneesh Bhanot, tsaid, adding that the film would be titled “Neerja Bhanot”. It will be helmed by Ram Madhwani, who is credited with a number of award-winning commercials.
“Hello everyone! This is me as Neerja! In our tribute to Neerja Bhanot. This is my most special film. thank you,” Sonam wrote on her Twitter handle. She even posted pictures of herself and a refurbished Boeing 747 jumbo jet that will be used to recreate flight PA-73
“Sonam came to Chandigarh last year and had dinner with our family. Atul (leading fashion photographer Atul Kasbekar who is producing the film) is also quite excited to bring out Neerja’s story. The whole team has done a meticulous job,” Aneesh said, adding that no one from the family had so far attended the film’s shooting.
“We are absolutely confident that the producers will do a very good job. The whole family is very satisfied with the script and the way Neerja’s life is being shown. I suppose my mother’s role is being played by Shabana Azmi,” Aneesh said. Produced by Fox Star Studios and Bling Unplugged, the story and screenplay have been written by Saiwyn Quadras. Though not many among youth would know about Neerja’s act of bravery and ultimate sacrifice, they are looking forward to the film.
“It is interesting that two people from Chandigarh have become part of Bollywood biopics. The lives of both of them are inspirational,” film enthusiast Ritika Sharma said.
Following her act of bravery, Neerja was posthumously conferred the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, in 1987, the youngest and first woman recipient of the medal.IANS
Second biopic on a person from Chandigarh
Neerja will be the second person from Chandigarh to be featured in a biopic after the legendary athlete Milkha Singh. The film, “Bhag Milkha Bhag”, directed by Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra and with actor Farhan Akhtar in the lead, was a top grosser in 2013.
