Airlift movie review: Akshay Kumar film is well executed and well-acted

Rating: 10/10 (22 January 2016)

Over the years Akshay Kumar's choice of selecting the films has certainly improved with significant examples being Holiday, Baby, Special Chabbis, Gabbar Is Back to name few. Move over commercial masala potboilers with item songs, hero smashing 10 guys with a single blow and typical song-dance routine  Raja Menon's Airlift will give you goosebumps with fast-paced gritting thrills and excitement. Based on a true story, Airlift speaks about the Ranjit Katyal (played by Akshay Kumar) who helps the Indian Government collaborate with Air India to help evacuate 1,70,000 Indians from Kuwait after Iraq raided the country. From the director of critical acclaimed films like Bas Yun Hi and Barah Aana, Raja Menon does a fantastic research about the feat that was even recorded in the Guinness Book of World Record and surprisingly people are unaware about it. Airlift will consume you right from the beginning especially when Akshay's family faces the issue of Iraqi raiding Kuwait. From here onward, there is no turning back as the movie gives you nice twist-n-turns with well- choreographed action scenes. Icing on the cake is the climax scenes which has been well executed. On the flip side, length of the movie could have been reduced little further. But brilliant screenplay, Art direction and cinematography is spellbinding. Background score gels well with the mood of the film. Dialogues are fine. The music of the film is doing well on the chartbuster. The soulful number such as 'Soch Na Sake' is already a superhit among the viewers. Besides, other tracks are catching up fast as well. It is Akshay Kumar's show all the way. A thumbs up to him for doing something different from his usual masala potboilers. After giving back-to-back hits in 2015 with Baby, Gabbar Is Back and Singh Is Bliing, Akshay Kumar is definitely on a roll. With Holiday, Baby and now Airlift, Akshay Kumar has managed to create a image of "Mera Bharat Mahaan" actor and fans will love him in new avatar. The fresh pairing of Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur works well. Nimrat Kaur's realistic subtlety would harness Akshay Kumar's machismo and give us that perfect thriller Overall , Airlift is nail-biting, reality-based action thriller that is going to give you goose bumps. Brilliant 4.5/5