Life & Style

Bollywood blockbuster 'Airlift' irks Indian government

Foreign ministry says Akshay Kumar starrer took artistic liberties with the real-life rescue mission

Afp January 29, 2016

Foreign ministry says Akshay Kumar starrer took artistic liberties with the real-life rescue mission. SOURCE AIRLIFTMOVIEONLINE

A hit Bollywood movie about the evacuation of more than 170,000 Indians from Kuwait in 1990 has angered the government with its portrayal of the country's diplomats as selfish and unfeeling.

The foreign ministry took the unusual step of issuing a statement on Airlift, a fictionalised account of the real-life rescue mission that was released last week to rave reviews.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK

It shows Indian diplomats leaving Kuwait soon after the Iraqi invasion that sparked the first Gulf war, and portrays the foreign ministry in New Delhi as apathetic to the desperate pleas of Indian migrant workers stuck there.

"@AirliftFilm: Great entertainment but rather short on facts," foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted late Thursday.

"Films often take liberties with actual events, with facts," said Vikas -- whose own novel was made into the hit movie Slumdog Millionaire -- in a recorded video statement.

"And this particular film has... taken a lot of artistic liberties in the depiction of events as they actually happened in Kuwait in 1990," he added.

Airlift was saved by its great script and great performances

The 1990 mission, which lasted almost two months and required around 500 flights, remains India's biggest air evacuation ever and a source of pride to its diplomatic corps.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK

The foreign ministry decided to issue a statement after receiving requests to speak with a "non-existent" diplomat who was portrayed in the film, a senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

All that glitters is not gold

"Given Bollywood's hold over the popular imagination, we thought it would be best to recount the facts -- that it was a stellar team effort of diplomats, bureaucrats, Air India pilots and active citizens in the region that ensured the biggest evacuation in history," the official said.

Vikas added: "We hope that the film will inspire the people to read about the actual events that took place."

The foreign ministry statement also reminded citizens of its recent evacuations of thousands of Indians from war-hit parts of Yemen, Syria and Iraq. However, around 40 Indian construction workers who were working in Mosul have been missing since June 2014, when the Islamic State group captured the Iraqi city.

A smooth sail into Bollywood

PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Writer for Hindustan Times, Viru Cherian, expresses his anger at the false portrayal of the government in Airlift, while recounting his own traumatic experience in 1990. He writes, "my recollection of an eventful two months is nothing like the portrayal in the Akshay Kumar-starrer Airlift."

"The movie shows the Indian government as callous and incompetent. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth."

Cherian goes on to describe his own experience and gratitude for the government. He expresses disappointment that the film's hero is portrayed as Akshay Kumar's character Ranjit Katyal, instead of the Indian government.

COMMENTS (1)

sameer | 8 years ago | Reply Has the writer of the article really seen the movie or he would not title it as "Ranjit Katyal did not Airlift me" .Ranjit Katyal did not airlift anyone. There is no Ranjit Katyal as it is shown in the end credits. Did the writer of the above article conveniently not read it or has he seen the movie at all? Ranjit Katyal's character as mentioned in the end credits mentions is based on two people...a Mr. Matthews and a Mr. Vedi. These two gentleman's en devours are shown in the movie. And the movie realistically captures the events and happenings as it happened then. Some government officials are feeling offended. I think the culprits are now feeling bad that they did not rise to the occasion quickly. Airlift is a fantastic movie and I see that some Govt. officials who did not rise to the occasion are feeling exposed and are trying to run down the movie. My father was is Kuwait during the war and we had not information on him for almost 3 weeks or so. Then he called and told us he was in Jordan waiting to be Airlifted. Airlift is the story of the biggest evacuation in human history and has earned a name for itself in Guinness Book of World records. Airlift tells the story of how India evacuated 170, 000 people from Kuwait to India during the attack and capture of Kuwait by Iraq's leader Saddam Hussein. Now the film shows that there were some callous govt officials who dillydallied initially . But it gloriously portrays some like Joint Secretary Sanjeev Kholi who zealously made it possible to evacuate the Indians. And you can expect good and bad examples during such a situation because of the unexpected situation. Airlift is a tribute to those Indian officials like Sanjeev Kholi who made history possible. So I don't see why people in the bureaucracy is feeling offended. Or is it that some are feeling exposed now?

Replying to X