This film proves that bollywood can make non-commercial mainstream movie

Rating: 10/10 (23 January 2016)

Usually we expect a bollywood film to be full of commercial elements like power packed dialogues with heavy background music, melodrama and an unnecessary love track and I expected something similar to that in Airlift but no!
Director Raja Menon has done a very deep research on the entire subject and very carefully brings it on the screen. This film only shows us the reality and doesn't get into any other commercial elements like most of other films these days do. Like in that scene where Ibrahim tells Ranjit about his missing half-wedded wife, his eyes tell you everything and he doesn't go on delivering a 2 page dialogue. That's one of the moments where we understand how the director wants to present the movie.
There are a few enjoyable parts like the Mr. George track. There is an item song also in the beginning to lure the masses.
Camera work is excellent and is one of the major highlights in the film. Rest all departments have also done their job very well.
Talking about the performances, it's Akshay Kumar who as usual steals the show. He has not portrayed but lived the character of Ranjit Katyal. He's perfect in each and every scene. He looks superb with the salt-n-pepper beard (He's been in this look for almost 6 months) and that's really a brave decision by any big actor like him since it affects his image. He proves that he isn't obsessed with the factor of looking young and charming(he was looking kind-of old with the long hairstyle in 'Entertainment')
Nimrat Kaur gets less scope compared to what was expected from an actress like her but still she's good. Purab Kohli is effective as Ibrahim. Kumud Mishra(as Kohli) is also good. Rest all junior artists have done their parts well.
I appreciate Akshay Kumar for doing films like this because apparently he's the only actor in bollywood or maybe in the entire country who is trying to bring films like Special 26 and Airlift into the mainstream category.
Conclusion - Bollywood must make more non-commercial movies like this if it really want to be in the Oscar race.