Subhash K Jha (DNA; February 23, 2016)

The strange response from Pakistan to Neerja, a film about a real-life terror hijack at Karachi airport, has left the film’s director Ram Madhvani puzzled. The film was banned for being anti-Pakistan. “They reacted in haste. Without seeing our film the Pakistani authorities clamped down on it just because it was about a terror attack on their soil. We made sure that Pakistan was shown as a victim of terrorism as much as India,” says Madhvani.

The director feels the failure to release Neerja in Pakistan has fostered piracy. “Pirated copies of the film are already available in key cities of Pakistan. But the situation can still be salvaged. Let them watch the film and release it this Friday.”

Ram feels the best compliment he has received for Neerja is to have it described as a ‘decent’ film. “Decent is a very outdated concept at the movies. I am delighted when people refer to my film as decent. We made sure that every dialogue, character and actor exuded a sense of decency. In fact, Abrar Zafoor, who plays the main terrorist was so ‘decent’ that he profusely apologised to the old lady in the film whose grandson Abrar guns down.”

Music composer Shekhar Ravjiani was also signed for the same reasons. “We wanted someone who embodied a goodness of heart. It was my producer Atul Kasbekar, who suggested we sign Shekhar. He said no to many acting offers before. Shekhar agreed to do Neerja immediately.”

There was a spirit of bonhomie and sweetness all across the shooting. Says Ram, “For one particular sequence, we needed a particular brand of chocolate-cream biscuit, which has ceased production almost everywhere. We hunted it down to one bakery in Ooty and ordered boxes of it for our shooting. Sonam needed to eat just one for the shot. The rest, we all gorged on.”

The film’s amazing aircraft set was constructed piece by piece from a map of the original PanAm aircraft on which the crisis happened.

The airport runway sequences were shot at Indore airport. “We needed an airport that still wore a 1980s look. Indore was just the thing.”

Ram attributes the success of Neerja to the spirit of oneness that the film’s content shares with the audience. “The saddest thing to happen to a film is when its makers choose to distance themselves from the audience. Why? It’s the most damaging manifestation of the viraha (separation) rasa. Why distance the film from the audience when the filmmaker is one of them?”