2016 · Film
Neerja
Ram Madhvani's biographical thriller starring Sonam Kapoor as Neerja Bhanot, the Pan Am head purser who faced hijackers aboard Flight 73 in Karachi in 1986.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Neerja is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
With subscription
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
In September 1986, 22-year-old Neerja Bhanot, a former model working as a flight attendant, leaves her Mumbai home and family to work as head purser on Pan Am Flight 73 to New York. Her mother worries about the job, and Neerja is still carrying the memory of a painful, abusive marriage she walked out of. When the plane stops in Karachi, armed men disguised as security officers storm the aircraft. With hundreds of passengers held hostage, Neerja and the crew must decide what to do as the hours drag on.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A gripping pick for viewers who like real-life hostage dramas told in close to real time. Expect sustained tension and scenes of gunfire and killings aboard the plane, so it is better for teenagers and adults than young children.
Genres:True storiesThrillerDrama
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Neerja is based on the September 1986 hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 at Karachi by the Abu Nidal Organization. Head purser Neerja Bhanot alerted the cockpit crew so the pilots could escape, grounding the plane, and she was killed while helping passengers out; 359 of the 379 people on board survived. She was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra.
Produced by Atul Kasbekar's Bling Unplugged with Fox Star Studios, the film opened in India on 19 February 2016 and was not released in Pakistan. Wikipedia lists a worldwide gross of about ₹135.52 crore, making it one of the highest-grossing Hindi films led by a woman. At the 64th National Film Awards it won Best Feature Film in Hindi and a Special Mention for Kapoor. At the 62nd Filmfare Awards it won six awards, including Best Film (Critics), Best Actress (Critics) for Kapoor and Best Supporting Actress for Shabana Azmi.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Biographical thriller, Hijack drama
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Director
- Ram Madhvani
- Cast
- Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Shekhar Ravjiani, Jim Sarbh, Yogendra Tiku
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Neerja in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Neerja is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Is Neerja in Hindi?
- Yes. Neerja is a Hindi-language film.
- How long is Neerja?
- Neerja runs for 2 hours 1 minute (121 minutes).