There is a new patriotic film releasing this week and it’s based on true-events. Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya’s film Sky Force is directed by Sandeep Kewlani & Abhishek Anil Kapur. The movie also stars Sara Ali Khan and Nimrat Kaur in pivotal roles. Sky Force is a full-fledged aerial action film that is inspired by India’s first airstrike on Pakistan during the war of 1965. The film’s first half is about the aerial action sequences and the neck-and-neck fight between Indian and Pakistan forces while the second half tones down to add a more emotional aspect to the narrative. However, is Sky Force worth your time and money? Read the review to decide that.
Plot
Akshay Kumar is seen in the role of Wing Commander A.O Ahuja (a fictional character for Vir Chakra awardee O.P Taneja) while Veer Pahariya plays the airforce pilot T. K. Vijaya (a fictional character for Mahavir Chakra awardee Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya). Nimrat Kaur and Sara Ali Khan are seen in the roles of their respective wives. Sky Force majorly focuses on India’s first airstrike on Pakistan during the 1965 war and the events that led to this brave retaliation by the Indian Air Force. In the first half of the film, we get to see the Indian Air Force’s airstrike on Pakistan’s Sargodha to destroy their biggest air base.
However, a parallel story is also told about the mysterious disappearance of T.K Vijaya (Veer Pahariya) who was on standby during the mission but still went ahead to join the men due to some last-minute technical issues. The second half of the film is all about how A.O (Akshay Kumar) finds out about the missing pilot and finally gives closure to everyone about what exactly happened during the war.
Sky Force deals with the themes of patriotism and a soldier’s selfless sacrifice for his country. It also sheds light on some of the lesser-known stories of our brave Indian Air Force fighter pilots.
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Performances
Akshay Kumar is quite comfortable in this genre now as he has already done a list of major Indian patriotic films. The actor as always is convincing in this role and the same is the case in Sky Force too. Akshay Kumar adds a certain layer of emotional depth to his character as a guardian of Veer Pahariya’s TK Vijaya while maintaining the stern bossy nature of a senior around him.
It’s Veer Pahariya’s debut film and the young actor has delivered a promising performance. The actor’s role is a significant one in the film, however, we wish more of his acting chops were explored in this film and it somewhere felt very limited. The actor shines with his dialogue delivery and portrayal of strong emotions as a fearless Air Force pilot who can go to any extent to serve his country.
The Aerial Action Is Quite Thrilling
The first half of Sky Force keeps you hooked with engaging aerial action, something which was also seen in Fighter. Sky Force has a lot of edge-of-the-seat aerial action that happens during the war between India and Pakistan. The fights are so neck-and-neck that you don’t want to blink your eyes and miss even a single movement of the Air Force fighter pilots. Even the sequence where the Indian Air Force pilots are practising is directed beautifully and it was a nice way of introducing Veer Pahariya’s character as a force to be reckoned with.
The Second Half
Sky Force’s narrative gets interesting in the second half by constantly raising our curiosity around the sudden disappearance of Air Force pilot TK Vijaya. The emotional aspects of the film are dealt with a little more in the second half. We see the pathetic condition of TK Vijaya’s wife Geeta (Sara Ali Khan) and her endless wait. After 19 years, the investigation around the disappearance is opened again with AO Ahuja taking the lead. The revelations are shocking and the audience will find themselves invested in the storytelling.
Music
The background score, especially ‘Maaye’ composed by Tanishq Bagchi, penned by Manoj Muntashir and sung by B Praak is a powerful and soulful track. It’s hard-hitting and adds a lot of impact to the visuals.
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Female Characters
Sadly, Sara Ali Khan and Nimrat Kaur do not make a very significant contribution to the film. They have a limited screen presence and somewhere their characters lack emotional connection with the audience.
Same Old Recipe?
Sky Force can be considered to be a new story packaged in the same old redundant storytelling about patriotism and the India-Pakistan narrative. The film looks stale in some moments and reminds you of many similar films that we have seen in the past.
Dialogues
There are no wow dialogues in the film and they too feel repetitive. This also takes away from creating an emotional impact on the audience.
Sky Force: Good Action, Average Storytelling
Sky Force directed by Sandeep Kewlani & Abhishek Anil Kapur is an engaging aerial action film that educates us about some lesser-known victorious stories about our brave Air Force soldiers. All the Akshay Kumar fans waiting to see the actor shine in another patriotic film, the wait is over for you guys. Veer Pahariya also makes an impressive acting debut. The film’s aerial action sequences are exceptional. Sky Force will hit the theatres on January 24, 2025. Are you booking your tickets?