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 Bollywood Film Movie Documentary Review

Johnson Thomas

Far from gritty or engaging

Film : Runway 34

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, Rakul Preet Singh, Angira Dhar, Aakanksha Singh

Director: Ajay Devgn

Rating: * *

Runtime: 148 mins

 

Ajay Devgn’s third attempt at direction ( after U, Me Aur Hum and Shivaay) is a motley collection of verbose sequences and very little crusty action. Designed to be an action cum investigative thriller, this film which is loosely based on a real life near disaster, fails to recreate either the tensions or the thrills associated with high-flying-into-danger scenario.

Inspired by a Jet Airways Doha to Kochi flight 9W 555’s (Boeing 737-800) near disaster experience while flying in turbulent, inclement, stormy weather under zero visibility conditions, neither the script nor the narrative can keep pace with the true-life near death experience. The fictional flight here is from Dubai to Kochi viz. Trivandrum in a much smaller skyline aircraft. While events leading up to the catastrophic circumstances are pinpointed with a great deal of embellishments, there’s very little in the experience to thrill or savour.

Right from the first frame it’s clear that the movie’s main aim is to promote Devgn as a bad boy hero Captain Vikrant Khanna, who has a photographic memory (a fact that is drummed down our throat several times) and a passion for keeping his word. And throughout the runtime we are expected to believe that they are virtues above all else. We know of his oh-so-understanding, loving wife Samaira and daughter already because we are shown him bidding them goodbye and promising his daughter he will be back in time for her birthday. So when the much married Capt. Khanna decides to wear a hoodie to have a night on the tiles pissed drunk with an unknown woman in tow at the Dubai Club, we are expected to be curious but not judgemental. The next thing we know is he is captaining the Skyline flight from Dubai to Kochi in the company of second officer Tanya Albuquerque ( Rakul Preet Singh) whose only instructions ( from the director is my guess) are to look all goggle eyed with admiration at the hero Captain and later on while flying into turbulence – have a meltdown of sorts.    

Though inspired by true events, the film also has similarities to Hollywood films ‘Sully’ and ‘Flight.’ Runway 34 is basically made up of two distinct halves. The pre-interval period is taken up with the near disaster experience while the post interval (120 min) part concentrates on the investigations, the hearing and the media hoopla that surrounds the incident. Amitabh and Boman come into the post-interval part as Chief investigator and Skyline CEO respectively. The script is riddled with many loopholes and the narrative drives itself basically on lofty suppositions and flighty inferences. Several questions are left unanswered and those that find answers don’t have the weight of logic behind them. The director hopes to present the narrative like a sleight of hand but it feels too premeditated and contrived. All the characters are ill defined, they look showy rather than have any substance and the plotting is reduced to showmanship. There’s nothing meaty or rational in this representation and the acting is all about going through the motions without much heft. The VFX of the flight attempting to land while being buffeted by contrary wind and rain turbulence is downright silly and looks extremely tacky. The editing is concerned with setting up stereotypes and the camerawork also glides in the same direction. Certainly not a thrill ride this!

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