Runway 34

In most sensible films, the protagonist of 'Runway 34' would have been a repulsive character, but here we're supposed to root for him.

It’s bad enough that Vikrant has been summoned for a hearing but before that he meets a few hostile officers, who inform him with (bizarre) glee that, in fact, his feat wasn’t heroic, for a woman (yes, the same one-out-of-the-two-people-whom-Vikrant-is-kind-to old woman) has died en route to hospital. Even that’s not enough, because Tripathi soon begins to cough vigorously (“drama! Drama! More drama!” I could almost hear director Devgn scream). Again, it’s not enough that the imperilled airplane, running low on fuel, is circling in the air, looking for an opportunity to crash land. One calls him an “ace pilot”. A song cheers him in the background: “He’s the one, he’s the alpha man.” He brags about his “photographic memory”. He’s constantly mean and hostile to his co-pilot, Tanya Albuquerque (Rakul Preet Singh — we’ll get to her in a bit). The movie doesn’t improve in the second half, too, when Vikrant endures tough interrogation sessions in a courtroom-like set-up, helmed by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau officer Narayan (Amitabh Bachchan). A conscientious man, Narayan is all taunts, anger and intimidation – in shudh Hindi. Bachchan plays his role with admirable verve and relish – the film’s only high-point. Helping the audiences, Runway 34 provides two examples of him being nice – and there are no surprises here – a) when he’s talking to his daughter, b) when he’s comforting an old woman. Like Whip, Vikrant struggles to get out of the bed and stay awake during the flight.

Dad Amitabh Bachchan's biggest cheerleader Abhishek congratulated the entire cast of the film on its release.

Interestingly, the film was initially titled MayDay, but through the journey of the shoot, director Ajay decided to rename the film Runway 34. On the other hand, Amitabh Bachchan essays the character of an investigating officer. Just came out of the film a true cinematic experience.