Bollywood films based on aviation!

Author: Satish Sundaresan

This film was inspired by the biography of Shivkar Bapuji Talpade. For the unversed, Shivkar Bapuji Talpade (played by Shreyas Talpade), the one-man thinktank who has been reportedly claimed to have constructed and flown an unmanned, heavier-than-air aircraft in 1895!

Hawaizaada

This film starred the real life feisty and fiery actress Kangana Ranaut. The film saw her in the memorable role of Indian Air Force officer Tejas Gill.

Tejas

Sonam Kapoor’s portrayal of an air hostess, who lays down her life in order to save the life of the passengers in the hijacked plane, till date, gives goosebumps! The film was based on the real-life story of Neerja Bhanot!

Neerja

The Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan, Rakul Preet Singh, Boman Irani starrer had its premise based on a story about a flight which was travelling from Doha to Kochi, that crash-landed due to poor visibility in August 2015.

Runway 34

This Janhvi Kapoor starrer was all about inspiration, inspiration and inspiration! She played the role of the Indian Air Force pilot named Gunjan Saxena, who has been credited as one of the first women to fly in a combat zone!

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl

Even though this is a film which has not been entirely based on aviation, but ‘aviation’ did play an all-important role in the film! The film mirrored the life and story of a Kuwait-based businessman Ranjit Katyal (Akshay Kumar) and the evacuation of Indians based in Kuwait.

Airlift

Just like Airlift, this film too, was ‘led’ by Akshay Kumar. The film, which met with decent success at the box office, was inspired by a bunch of real-life hijackings which had taken place in India by the Khalistani terrorists during the 1980s.

Bell Bottom

The film starred Shahid Kapoor and was directed by his father- the veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor. The film had its timeline spanning ten years and saw Shahid Kapoor in the role of a Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force.

Mausam

The film was out and out a film which was based on aviation! Touted to be India’s first ever aerial action film, the film starred Anil Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and others.

Fighter