Sky Force

There is honour among enemies – sometimes. When the Indian Air Force captures decorated Pakistani officer Wing Commander Hussain Ahmed (Sharad Kelkar) in the 1971 war, Wing Commander Om Ahuja (Akshay Kumar) interrogates him. And learns that Ahmed got his gallantry award for shooting down an Indian aircraft in the Sargodha attack in 1965. But the Pak officer won’t reveal anything more. After the ceasefire, Ahmed is sent back to Pakistan. India has acted honorably with a PoW. The downing of the Indian aircraft in Sargodha opens unhealed old wounds.

Last year Bollywood’s Republic-Day gift was Fighter, which zoomed in, checking several patriotic-movie boxes: brave Indian fighter pilots, going up against favourite enemy Pakistan, displaying valour and camaraderie. This year, it is Sky Force, coasting on the same elements, except this one is a thinly-disguised account of a real life incident during the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict, in which a squadron decimated a fleet of modern American jets housed at Pakistani base Sargodha, in an operation the film calls Sky Force.

Sky Force directed by Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur is led by Akshay Kumar and introduced a debutante star Veer Pahariya. The film based on real incident follows the story of Air Force officers O.P. Taneja and Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya. The makers have fictionalized the characters for their onscreen portrayal but the almost raw performances are. The film begins in 1971 when a Pakistani pilot attacking on Indian soil is capture. The Group Captain played by Akshay Kumar aka Ahuja meets the pilot to question him about his plans, and Pakistan’s plans to attack India. However, during a very civil interrogation, Ahuja finds out that he is the same pilot who may have attacked his former colleague who has been missing in action for over six years. The film then turns to a flash back in 1965 where Veer’s character is introduced as Vijya his call name Tabby.