The beautiful and brave flight attendant Neerja Bhanot risked and sacrificed her life to save passengers on Pan Am Flight 73 that was hijacked by terrorists during a stopover at Karachi, Pakistan 1986. She took bullets from the hijackers while rescuing passengers from exit window on September 5, just two days before her 23rd birthday. A chapter of courage and bravery that is remembered even today as we mark the 34th death anniversary of a lady who lost her life at the tender age of 22. She is the recipient of India's highest peacetime gallantry, the Ashok Chakra Award, which she recieved Posthumously. Her life's heroic deed inspired makers to make a biopic titled Neerja which was released in 2016, directed by Ram Madhvani starring Sonam Kapoor in the titular role of Neerja Bhanot. Sonam Kapoor Watches Christopher Nolan’s Tenet on the Big Screen, Says ‘Dimple Kapadia in the Film Gave Me Goosebumps’ (View Post)

The film was welcomed by the critics and was even a box-office hit registering a lifetime business of Rs 75 crore. Neerja won two awards at the 64th National Film Awards including Best Feature Film in Hindi and Special Mention for Sonam Kapoor. At the 62nd Filmfare Awards, Neerja won six awards, including Best Film (Critics), Best Actress (Critics), and Best Supporting Actress (Shabana Azmi). Sonam Kapoor Pens the Most Adorable Birthday Wish for Hubby Anand Ahuja, Calls Him Her Guiding Light

Where to Watch Neerja Online

You can watch Sonam Kapoor's Neerja on Disney+ Hotstar (For VIP and premium subscribers. You can also rent the Neerja Bhanot biopic on YouTube at Rs 50 and buy it at Rs 100 (High-Definition Print Costs Rs 150).  Same rates are applicable for rent and purchase on Google Play Movies & TV.

Talking about how close was this film to Sonam Kapoor, Actress spoke to a leading daily and said, "Fear is... there are different manifestations of fear, but the emotion is the same. You're afraid, you're scared, and that fear is just of different degrees. So you just need to capture that emotion. I knew the underlying emotion that she would've felt because the emotion a normal girl would feel is fear. That's the essence I wanted to capture. Her conquering her fear and becoming a leader, becoming the girl that she was meant to be on the Pan Am Flight 73. Neerja also featured Shabana Azmi, Shekhar Ravjiani, Jim Sarbh and Yogendra Tiku, among others. The film hit the screens on February 19, 2016.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2020 09:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).