Neerja@10: Director's Raw Memories

Filmmaker Ram Madhvani is reflecting on the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed film 'Neerja.' He expressed deep gratitude for the film's success, noting its rare achievement of financial, critical, personal, and mass acclaim. Madhvani highlighted the film's ability to evoke emotion and inspire audiences with the story of Neerja Bhanot's bravery and a family's resilience.

Madhvani shared that he was drawn to the story through his connections, including a friend who worked with Neerja Bhanot before the hijacking. He confirmed Sonam Kapoor was his first choice and agreed to star before the screenplay was even drafted. The director also detailed his unique 'System 360' filming method, which involved long takes and no rehearsals to achieve realism.

The film provided a debut for actor Jim Sarbh, who was cast after extensive auditions for a different role. Music composer Sheykhar Ravjiani made a memorable cameo as Neerja's love interest, also agreeing to sing a song. Madhvani emphasized his approach of treating all actors, including background artists, as senior talent through extensive workshops.

He praised Shabana Azmi's phenomenal performance, particularly her powerful final speech, noting that the script was meticulously prepared by the writers. Madhvani also discussed the homage to Rajesh Khanna and the concept of the 'tragic hero' within Indian cinema, which Neerja Bhanot embodied.

Reflecting on the 14-year gap between his debut film 'Let's Talk' and 'Neerja,' Madhvani described filmmaking as a miracle, with many elements needing to align. He teased upcoming projects, including a film and a series, and mentioned his new company, Equinox Virtual, which produced a VR film on the Bhagavad Gita.