11 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
Last updated on - Feb 22, 2018, 13:59 ISTShare fbsharetwsharepinshare
01/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
‘Airlift’ was a historical drama film. It starred Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur in lead roles. The film was based on the Iraq and Kuwait war and it was a brilliant film as the scenes were based on the real story of the Indians in Kuwait. The film follows Ranjit Katyal (Akshay Kumar), a Kuwait-based businessman, as he carries out the evacuation of Indians based in Kuwait during the Invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur collaborated for the first time for a film. Also, Purab Kolhi learned Arabic along with Akshay Kumar. The film was shot in many cities as various sets were re-created to depict Kuwait during 1990. The film also shows the glory of Indian Air Force as they helped the Indian citizens to reach India safely. Akshay Kumar had tweeted some facts about the film during the release of the film. They had evacuated thousands of Indian from the war zone. Here are 11 interesting facts about Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Airlift’.
02/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
The film was based on Iraq and Kuwait war and most of the scenes in the film was based on the real story of the Indians in Kuwait. Sets were re-created to depict Kuwait during 1990. After spending 27 years in prison for his activism against apartheid, Nelson Mandela was released. Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz turns out to be helpful. He discloses that an Indian merchant ship is due to arrive in Iraq with various supplies, and permits the Indian refugees to leave the ship. However, Ranjit later receives news that there is a UN embargo and ships are barred from entering or leaving Iraq, effectively crushing their hopes of getting out.
03/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
It was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people evacuated by a civil airliner, about 170,000 Indians. The entire evacuation procedure took 488 flights in 59 days. Some 170,000 Indians in Kuwait are now stranded as refugees. Before they plan to leave Kuwait, Iraqi forces continue to push through Kuwait and eventually, Ranjit's mansion is broken into, but his wife and child manage to escape to his office. Ranjit convinces his friends to work together, and they set up a makeshift camp for some 500 Indians with Major Khalaf's permission. Amrita urges Ranjit to use his leverage to extricate his own family but Ranjit, who ordinarily would have just looked out for himself, appears to have a change of heart. He decides to stay and help the other Indians get out of Kuwait.
04/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
Akshay Kumar learned the Arabic language for his role in the film, Ranjit Katyal. The real story is based on the life of Sunny Mathews. In 1990 Kuwait, Indian businessman Ranjit Katyal (Akshay Kumar) is a successful Kuwait-based businessman who is very well-connected with Kuwait and Iraq and makes a happy home with his wife Amrita (Nimrat Kaur) and their little daughter Simu. He calls himself a Kuwaiti and is often derisive towards Indians.
05/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
Harbhajan Singh Vedi was one of the businessmen who coordinated the evacuation. Indians based in Kuwait also played a vital role in making the evacuation a success. Many people had genuinely helped the Indians to reach India safely. Many Indians were in danger during the war, as shown in the film. Iraq owes a large debt to Kuwait after the Iran–Iraq War and President Saddam Hussein of Iraq had urged Kuwait during earlier talks to reduce their oil supply so prices can rise in the market and Iraq can stabilize their economy. When Kuwait refused and began slant-drilling into Iraqi oil fields, Saddam ordered the attack.
06/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
This was the largest number people who were evacuated by any air force in the world. More than 170000 people were evacuated during 59 days. Ranjit learns that the Indian embassy in Kuwait has been evacuated and phones the Indian External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi, where he reaches the Joint Secretary, Sanjiv Kohli (Kumud Mishra), and asks for arrangements to be made for the evacuation. Later on, the camp is looted by Iraqi soldiers, terrifying everyone in it. Ranjit pays a visit to Major Khalaf and talks to him about this, to which the Major simply extends his apologies, and also reveals that President Saddam has already permitted Indians to leave Kuwait, but the problem is that they have no way to do so. Ranjit travels to Baghdad to try and set up a way out of Kuwait but the Indian embassy there is of no help.
07/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
Director of the film, Raja Krishna Menon, he wrote the script after studying the whole incident of war and the predicament of Indians based in Kuwait. He then approached Akshay Kumar for the role of a character based on Mathunny Mathews, the real-life businessman who spearheaded the evacuation efforts named Ranjit Katyal, to which he agreed to act and produce.
08/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
Akshay Kumar felt that the film possessed significant offbeat potential, with a good amount of patriotism and a reason to be a proud Indian. He stated that Balraj Sahni's role in the film ‘Waqt’ (1965) is his inspiration for the role where an earthquake shatters the peaceful life of Sahni's character. At the end of the film after escaping from all the checkpoints they arrive in Jordan and Air India and Indian Airlines supplies the planes and pilots to fly the Indians back.
09/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
Due to the film's theme based on the rescue operation, the film was compared with Ben Affleck-starrer ‘Argo’ sharing the similar storyline. However, Akshay Kumar stated that the film does not have any connection with it and is completely based on a true story. He also said that comparing the film with ‘Argo’ is an insult and it is not a matter of humour for Indians to achieve this end. Akshay Kumar reported that his 80% profit share will be included in the film's budget and he would not charge fees for the same.
10/1211 Unknown facts about the film ‘Airlift’
The movie was criticized for over-simplifying the complex operation of the airlift. The portrayal of diplomats and bureaucrats in the film was criticized by present and former officials in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. K. P. Fabian, who was the Joint Secretary of the Gulf division at the Ministry during the Gulf War in 1990, accused the film of deliberately spreading misinformation about the role of government officials at the time. Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted that the film was great entertainment but short on facts while the Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao tweeted that the film fell completely short in its research on the role of the Ministry in the '90-'91 Gulf War.
