Airlift is a movie which sets high standards in Bollywood

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2016)

Airlift has a lot of imperfections but they don't stop it from being one of the better Indian movies of this time. It is always a delight to watch a Bollywood movie which really does have a screenplay. Airlift is based on a true story of evacuation of 170000 people from Kuwait in 1990. Since, the movie disclaimer clearly states that the plot is inspired by this event but it is not replicating the event precisely, it won't be fair to judge the movie on historical accuracy.
Plot – 5/5
Ranjit Katiyal (Akshay Kumar) is a high-profile industrialist established in Kuwait with his wife (Nimrat Kaur) and daughter and holds a lot of contempt for his motherland India. Disaster strikes as Iraq attacks Kuwait and burns down Kuwait City. Ranjit witnesses the murder of his driver (who was attempting to protect his employer) and transforms into a savior from a selfish tycoon, leading to the biggest air-rescue operation in history.
Casting – 5/5
The movie relies on a lot of supporting characters revolving around Akshay Kumar's character in a lead role. The casting has been done precisely and selected supporting cast expresses synchronization with the plot. Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur blend in well with a large crowd on screen and maintain leading feats. Cinematography & Visual Effects 13/15 There are certain shots which add explicit vigor to the screenplay. Sand dust from cars moving from Kuwait to Jordan and the high-rise shoots of moving vehicles and refugees are definitely very impactive. The shortcomings are seen in close range sweeps where smoother transformations would have made the photography perfect. Visual effects come into picture when Iraq attacks Kuwait and there are multiple explosions. The effects can be identified to be a little unreal and could have been made more graphic.
Sound (Direction, Score, Editing) – 7/10
The songs in the movie are never baseless and always invigorate the passions being conveyed on-screen. Though "Dil Cheez Tujhe Dedi" and "Soch Na Sake" are not the songs you will hear the whole day but "Tu Bhoola Jisse" is definitely the one you will take away as it concludes the movie. The background score is average and could have been better. Beats during transitional phases in the movie, especially in the 2nd half are noticeable. Overall the sound mixing and editing fall short of full throttle, but a good job by Amaal Malik and Ankit Tiwary.
Acting – 12/15
The film revolves around Akshay Kumar who is the very fabric of the screen. At the end of the movie you will not realize how much of Akshay Kumar you have seen and yet be fascinated from his aura. Akshay has delivered his best in Baby, Special 26, Holiday and he does better in Airlift. Nimrat Kaur has done justice to her role, but after a stalwart deliverance in 'Lunchbox' there were high expectations. Nimrat gets a monologue post-interval which could have been better and more intense to be precise. Prakash Belawadi portrays the complex character of George really well. Support from Purab Kohli and Kumud Mishra are refined. Inaamulhaaq playing Major Khalaf wasn't any good apart from his accent. He looked more like a comedian rather than the leader of a deadly troop which invaded Kuwait.
Screenplay – 10/15
The screenplay credit is shared by Raja Menon, Suresh Nair, Ritesh Shah and Rahul Nangia. With works like D-Day and Kahaani the writing has been better than expected. The first 30 minutes of the movie has absolute brilliance. Sheer, crisp brilliance with tactful plot development sets up the movie fantastically. The screenplay is a bit dragged before the interval and could have been curtailed a bit. The second half screenplay focuses more on transit and less on characterization and actors and that's where the movie loses its perfection the most. A few sudden transitions in the movie could have been handled better. There was a fast motion of even-to-event which seemed obvious and didn't end up smooth. Overall, a superb adaptation of a real-life event into a great movie.
Direction – 12/15
Raja Menon didn't have a great hall of fame with his previously directed movies but now he will. Airlift has been a great test of direction and Menon is on top of his game during most of the time in the movie. His best achievement has been depicting the character of Akshay Kumar who conquers the screen by undermining the conventional heroic capabilities he usually delivers. Menon makes the large cast blend well at the right time taking the screenplay forward as and when required.
Production Design – 8/10
The movie is set in 1990 Kuwait and the sets are charismatic enough to bring the viewers into the middle-east visualization. Although, the movie didn't require extraordinary sets, the locations for transits and refugee camps give a good expressive aspect to the movie. The portrayal of Kuwait streets in the aftermath of Iraq attack is very lifelike and needs appreciation.
Editing – 7/10
The editing in the first half couldn't have been better but only till it approaches the interval. Even though, Airlift runs for 2hrs 10mins, it could have been wrapped up in 2hours with the same effect. The long transportation from Kuwait to Jordan could have been cut-short easily. The focus on the final act from Air India and the government was subdued by unnecessary focus on other elements.
True Quotient – 79/100
Why to watch airlift? – Because it has good performances in a good plot. Why not to watch airlift? – Can't think of any reason.