JANUARY 2016 - Movie Of The Month

During the month of January 2016, Airlift was the best film to watch. Airlift is directed by Raja Krishna Menon, starring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur in the lead roles. This drama thriller is based on true events that transpired during the evacuations of Indians based in Kuwait during the Iraq-Kuwait war.  A strong script, praiseworthy acting and good direction help to take Airlift on to a promising journey.

What stood out for me the most was firstly; a strong script, which ensures a packed movie that, narrates the true story. Whether it comes from the characters emotions and what they are going through, the battle that is taking place, or the consequences the community faces, Airlift touches on every aspect leaving little room for questioning towards portraying a worthy depiction of a true story. Secondly, directional efforts were straight to the scene, not much experimentation was going on with trying to make such scenes seem mesmerizing, this could be due to the type of film that was being portrayed. But the lack of creativity and playing around with shots proves to be a positive, as the film required nothing spectacular. Throughout the film, shots were firm in trying to show realism and as an audience you feel as if you are a part of what is going through the mind of Akshay Kumar. Thirdly, performance was convincing from Akshay, nothing fancy or overly exaggerated, just stuck to his role that compliments the scenario occurring around him. Nimrat Kaur also proves to be a strong presence in pushing the film forward despite starting of slow.

As for the cast, Akshay Kumar packs in a solid leadership figure in being the mastermind behind obtaining the evacuation for the people. He showed emotions, promise and commitment throughout his role that made his character stand out and one that you want to see continuously. From a businessman kind of mentality thinking about himself and his family only, he soon becomes a thinker for others and worries about those around him for once, because unlike what he did in the beginning when it was all about making money, it now was about saving, saving the people and not the money. At times you will feel for his efforts, there be times you will appreciate his assurance as he pledges the safety of the Indians, you just get to witness several sides to Akshay in this film and that leaves him standing and walking tall in the film. As for Nimrat Kaur, at certain points in the film she seemed below par when compared to Akshay Kumar but she soon becomes a prominent figure in making her existence felt. She seems to be side to side with Akshay in the latter parts of the film unlike through the start where she seemed as a shadowing character instead. She has that bit of a upper class persona but soon stoops to the level of Akshay’s mentality towards helping others.

Airlift is a worthy watch as an average film portrays strong details in addressing a true event. But not only does the script and direction seem to be showcased well, credit needs to be heavily given to Akshay Kumar for taking this movie on his shoulders and just airlifting. Without a doubt, whether you like or dislike the story concept, you will witness a solid performance from Akshay, that is something to look out for.