Airlift

Fine performances by most of the folks with special mention to Akshay Kumar for his surprisingly decent restrained act. The film looks over simplistic at times and lacks depth. The mundane stuff attributed to commercial Indian cinema somehow manages to show it's head now and then throughout the movie. Few good scenes but not enough to weigh the 130min movie on it's shoulders.

Compelling drama hurt by overlength, and a very pristine, overly glossy look to many of the scenes of carnage, which occasionally strain credibility (surprisingly much less so than the occasional Bollywood musical numbers). Kumar is a very soulful leading man, and Belawadi as a perpetual complainer is a standout in support; his final scene adds a real dramatic weight to the climax, which should have particular resonance to anyone following current refugee politics in Western countries.

If this would have been about Americans, this would be the perfect Oscar bate for someone like Spielberg. Done in a very Schindler's List (1993) kind of way. Sadly with not enough tension, but still heavy on the national pride and human values. An uplifting story. Has some of the usual Indian downfalls as far as film making goes, but it's not overdone and they let the drama develop fairly natural. Visual quality is high as well.

Performances were good. It was informative & somewhat entertaining. The story was tightly focused on one man & his efforts to save many of his countrymen. Which gave it limited opportunities to show more about the wider events. Several scenes seem to have been added solely for appeal to an Indian audience. But they failed to include enough gritty material to provide enough action & excitement. A reasonably good example of heroism during extreme conditions.