Ajay Devgn was last seen in the movie titled ‘Bhuj: The Pride of India’. He played the role of IAF war hero, Wing Commander Vijay Karnik (Retd.) in the movie. Needless to say, despite having an outstanding actor like Ajay Devgn playing the lead character, the movie couldn’t attract the cinemagoers. As a consequence, it turned out to be a super flop. But the actor did not take long to rectify the mistake as he is back with yet another gripping performance in the movie titled ‘Runway 34’.
The Plot
Ajay Devgn’s ‘Runway 34’ has successfully landed in the theatres making the cinemagoers stick to their couches. There’s a reason that the movie has been receiving applauds from the critics and the audience. Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan and Rakul Preet starrer ‘Runway 34’ is inspired by a real-life incident and strongly reminds the audience of the 2016 released English film ‘Sully: Miracle on the Hudson’.
But the truth is something else. The movie revolves around Captain Vikrant Khanna’s flight from Dubai to Cochin and how he, on a rainy night, saved 150 lives from an impending aviation disaster. It was his maturity and foresight that led him to save people by landing in Trivandrum despite the lack of enough fuel.
Notably, Captain Vikrant Khanna is such a pilot, who can put himself in danger when it comes to his passengers’ safety. A family man but with a fun side to his personality, Ajay Devgn has beautifully presented the character.
The Direction
It was only possible with the direction that the flight scenes where the fear and anxiety of the petrified passengers were displayed, looked real and not imaginary. Ajay Devgn excelled in the aspect of direction too. It won’t be wrong to admit that Ajay Devgn as a director is equally phenomenal as Ajay Devgn as an actor. The external flight shots of the aircraft where the aircraft can be seen flying amidst thunder and rain have been displayed beautifully. The final landing of the plane in severe turbulence too has been executed exceptionally.
The Story of Runway 34
Even if Captain Vikrant Khanna saved hundreds of lives, he had to deal with the strict inquiry for his brave decision of landing at Trivandrum instead of Bengaluru. The passengers, media and the whole nation referred to him as a hero but it couldn’t prevent the strict inquiry that he had to face because he opted for Runway 34 instead of the recommended Runway 16.
Just when we thought that the movie cannot offer any more, enters one and only Big B into the frame. His entry in the second half takes the movie to another level. His character as Narayan Vedant, the Investigating Officer, is equally exciting. No one except him could have turned a boring courtroom drama with the inquiry committee and the pilots into an interesting event. Well, he is the superstar of the millennium for a reason.
How Captain Vikrant Khanna manages to convince the court against Narayan Vedant that what he has done was absolutely correct is a nail-biting experience for any cinema-lover to witness. He successfully made people trust his flying skills thereby justifying his actions and decisions. These turn of events forms the climax of this aviation drama.
The Acting
Ajay Devgn is the favourite of millions for various reasons. He justified his character as the dashing and accomplished Captain Vikrant Khanna. His minimal expressions and how he connects through his eyes led the audience to connect with the story.
The acting skills of Amitabh Bachchan are something that can never be questioned. From Agnipath to Pink and many more, he has always inspired the newcomers. He himself is an institution of what we really call acting.
Read more: From Phool aur Kaante to Tanhaji – Ajay Devgn the only Star who is also an actor
Apart from both the phenomenal actors, Rakul Preet too has done a decent job despite being far less experienced than both of them. Rakul Preet Singh, as Co-pilot Tania Albuquerque, delivers what is exactly the demand of the character. Boman Irani as Mr Suri, the owner of the Skyline Aviation company, has done an incredible job.
All in all, Runway 34 is an interesting film that has so much to offer. Although Bhuj disappointed his fans a lot, he has managed to fix it in his newly released movie.