AirliftUA

Plot Summary

It's 1 August, 1990, and rich Indian-origin businessman Ranjit Katyal (Akshay) is firming up a deal with Kuwait's ruling Sheikhs. Ranjit loves making money and dislikes India, as he tells his driver Nair, who wants to take his four-year-old daughter to see their homeland. Ranjit's happy with his comfortable life in Kuwait although his wife Amrita (Nimrat) scolds him for drinking too much. Ranjit and Amrita leave their little daughter Simu at home and go partying where Ranjit impresses all with his song and dance.

Suddenly, an explosion rips through a labour camp and Iraq, using tanks, rockets and troops, invades Kuwait. Ranjit wants to get his family out to London and is busy making calls to the Sheikhs - but discovers the entire Kuwaiti overnment has run away. He goes to the palace with Nair but they are stopped on the streets, full of soldiers looting and shooting people, and Nair gets shot.

Ranjit is spared when Iraqi Major Halaf (Inaamulhaq) recognises him from an earlier trip to Iraq. Halaf tells Ranjit his business partner has been brutally murdered - he's hung on a crane outside the palace window - but Ranjit can be safe and gives him a sticker for free passage through the city, with the understanding that Ranjit will help Iraq.

Ranjit goes to the Indian Embassy where he's told even the airport has been captured. The embassy official tells him to bring his family there.

But looting Iraqi soldiers have just entered Ranjit's home.

Ranjit reaches home, dazed and shocked, and finds the house has been wrecked and his family is missing. He is frantic and reaches his office after driving through ruins, explosions and rubble. He finds Amrita and Simu have taken refuge with the entire office staff. Ranjit tells Amrita about Nair. He goes to get Nair's wife and daughter who also move into the office. He tells Major Halaf he will pay for these five to leave Kuwait and the Major demands five million dollars.

But the numbers of Indians sheltering in Ranjit's office grow as people bring friends and relatives and the Indian Embassy exits, leaving Indians helplessly stranded in the war zone.

Ranjit meets his desi friends in Kurien's supermarket and tells them all the Indians staying together and pooling resources is much safer than small, isolated groups.

Ranjit presents Major Halaf whisky and requests permission for an Indian camp, which is allowed in a school building where desperate crowds flock, including the sour, complaining George (Prakash) and Kurien's quiet store in-charge Ibrahim (Purab) who tries to look after a single mother Tasneem (Feryna) - and discovers she's Kuwaiti.

Amrita is very angry with Ranjit for wasting time and energy on all this instead of leaving with her and Simu. But he insists. She says she will stay in their house, not in the crowded camp as the Major has promised them personal safety.

But one day, the camp is raided by Iraqi soldiers who loot supplies and jewellery and molest Mehr Poonawala, a young girl there. They are taken away by their officer but leave the camp totally shaken. Ranjit goes to the Major who tells him smoothly he'd forgotten to mention Saddam Hussain had allowed Indians to leave.

But as most of the Indians don't have their passports, given to labour agents, they are stuck. Ranjit contacts MEA official Kohli (Kumud) in Delhi who tells him to try his contacts while he persuades the minister to help the Indians. Kolhi's own father remembers the helplessness faced by them when exiting Lahore. Ranjit visits his Baghdad contacts to find a way out. Ibrahim goes with him and they stop on the way at a local hospital where Ibrahim searches for his newly-wed missing wife, a nurse who has vanished. In Baghdad, they pass Saddam Hussain's iconic statue and find the Embassy cannot help them. But Ranjit meets Iraq's foreign minister, Tariq Aziz, who says the Indians can leave on supply ship Tipu Sultan coming soon.

Reaching back, they give this news to the camp, which is overjoyed. Everyone packs and gets into buses to leave.

Just then, the UN announces sanctions on Iraq. No ships carrying supplies can enter or leave. The Indians are stuck. Food supplies are running out. While Ranjit is very upset, George accuses him of not delivering but Amrita scolds George and tells him the fact that Ranjit is trying to help everyone and not just himself and his family shows he's remarkable.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, Kohli finally persuades the minister to let him help the Indians.

Amrita talks Ranjit out of feeling low and he visits the docks where he finds an Indian ship which will set sail, carrying junk. Ranjit makes a deal with the captain to take 500 Indians for one lakh dollars. He sends off those who can pay, despite the complaints of George, Mr. Poonawala and less wealthy camp residents.

But the Major prevents these Indians from leaving. He threatens Ranjit but Ranjit bluffs him, saying Tariq Aziz wants him to help Iraq with its Swiss banking and the Major can check with him. As the Major is confused, Ranjit tells Kohli urgently the Indians have to leave Iraq - now.

Kohli arranges that the Indians can come home via Jordan, which they'll have to drive to. Ranjit tells Ibrahim he should leave with them as his wife might have gone to Jordan too. As buses are prepared, George discovers the Kuwaiti woman Tasneem and tells Ranjit she's a danger to them all. Ranjit takes her off the bus and puts her and her baby in his and Amrita's own car.

In Delhi, Kohli persuades Air India pilots to even fly through a war zone to bring the stranded Indians home.

The convoy of buses, led by Ranjit's car, drives through the desert. They are suddenly stopped by a van of Iraqi soldiers who drag the Kuwaiti girl out, wanting to rape her. Ranjit beats them up and tries to defend her but is overpowered. Suddenly, the Iraqis see thousands of Indians looming up on them. They're outnumbered and back off. The convoy proceeds.

In Delhi, Kohli makes frantic calls to push Jordan's Indian Embassy to issue passports to these people. But when they reach Jordan, the Indian refugees find no Indian flag. Finally, an official phone call in time works- and the Indian flag is hoisted, giving shelter and comfort to its people.

When Tasneem is asked for her identity, Abraham says she is his missing wife and she too gets a passport.

Ranjit, Amrita, Simu and everyone from the camp safely leave Jordan for India. Air India flies a record number of planes to evacuate 1,70,000 people out - the largest evacuation in human history.

Raja Krishna Menon's war thriller, 'Airlift,' starring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur, has been much appreciated by critics and audiences alike.

The film opened to a moderate response at the box office ringing in Rs 11 crore at the domestic front on Day 1. However, owing to the positive reviews and word-of-mouth publicity the film picked up pace on the following days collecting Rs 14.50 crore on Day 2 and Rs 16.75 crore on Day 3.

The film's nett collections are around Rs 122.78 crore with earnings of Rs 79.29 crore in its first week, Rs 28.78 crore in its second week, Rs 11.33 crore in its third week and Rs 2.64 crore in its fourth week. The worldwide collections of the film in 12 days stand at Rs 175 crore.

Day 1	Rs 11 crore
Day 2	Rs 14.50 crore
Day 3	Rs. 17 crore
Day 4	Rs 10 crore
Day 5	Rs 17 crore
Day 6	Rs 5.75 crore
Day 8	Rs 3.75 crore
Day 9	Rs 6 crore
Day 10	Rs 7.75 crore
Day 11	Rs 2 crore
Day 15	Rs 1.25 crore
Day 16	Rs 2.25 crore
Day 17	Rs. 3 crore
Day 18	Rs 1 crore

(Source: Boxofficeindia.com)

Airlift opened to good reviews and a very strong word-of-mouth. The weekend and the Republic Day holiday further enhanced the film's prospects at the box-office. Twitter is abuzz with praises for the film. Here's what the Twitterati have to say...

I urge all of you to go watch #Airlift if you haven't. @akshaykumar 's one of finest, setting a benchmark for movies to tell us our story

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) January 29, 2016

Do yourself a favour. Go and watch #Airlift. Wonderful film. Congratulations @akshaykumar and the entire team. 🇮🇳🔝

— Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) January 27, 2016

Oh damn. #Airlift is one helluva ride. Terrific writing, direction. Easily Akshay Kumar's best performance and film till date.

— Aniruddha Guha (@AniGuha) January 20, 2016

Saw Airlift.Brave film by director.Bhushan/Nikhil tops.Akshay,Nimrat work effortlessly.That George was good. Film Instils patriotism.See it!

— rishi kapoor (@chintskap) January 28, 2016

Best thing I did this Republic Day. Watched #Airlift. Honest, inspiring, well acted and well made.Congratulations @nikkhiladvani @RajaMenon

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) January 26, 2016

Just watched #Airlift @akshaykumar what a stellar performance!! Enjoyed the movie and no better day to watch it on then #RepublicDay

— Raj Kundra (@TheRajKundra) January 26, 2016