Another anti-Pakistan film in India’s “deadliest airstrike” release
Akshay Kumar made a momentous announcement on Gandhi Jayanti, an anniversary marked in India to honor Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, in a move that surprised no one at all. This has left supporters on both sides of the border curious and alarmed. On the same day as the birth anniversary of former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Akshay announced his upcoming film, Sky Force.
Given that the movie would be set during the reign of the former Indian premier, it should come as no surprise that it will be another anti-Pakistan production. The goal of the movie is to portray the “patriotism” exhibited by the military soldiers who participated in “India’s first and deadliest airstrike.”
The actor, who appears to have made an oath to be a part of most politically motivated projects, broke the news on his Instagram page shortly after the success of OMG 2 and as Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue was about to be released. An excerpt from the former Indian Prime Minister’s speech from that time was shown in the announcement video, in which he is heard vowing that India will not submit. The movie will tell the “untold true story” of the strike, according to the trailer. The actor urged his followers to support the narrative and revealed that it would be released in theaters on October 2, 2024.
Sky Force is co-directed by Sandeep Kelwani and Abhishek Kapur and is produced by Dinesh Vijan and Jyoti Deshpande. It is helmed under the creative production guidance of Amar Kaushik. One naively hopes that Sky Force, which Akshay’s admirers eagerly anticipate, is more than just a one-sided account of events.
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The actor has faced criticism in the past for how Pakistan is portrayed in his movies. An admirer of Akshay’s films on social themes from Pakistan spoke out at the Red Sea International flick Festival in Saudi Arabia about his displeasure with the way his nation was portrayed in the Bollywood actor’s 2021 flick Bell Bottom. The Khiladi star, however, advised the fan that “it is just a movie” and that people shouldn’t take themselves too seriously when making such criticisms.
A Pakistani man spoke up during a panel discussion to ask a question about Kumar’s movies. “I’m from Pakistan, which is next to yours. I want something. Fantastic films that you’ve produced include Pad Man and Toilet. However, there is also a problem between India and Pakistan. In your most recent film, Bell Bottom, you made some negative remarks about Pakistan,” the audience member said.
Akshay gave a defense of the movie very immediately in response. It’s just a movie, sir. Don’t take things so seriously. Just a movie, really. There are numerous instances of that. Sir, it’s only a movie.
In the 1980s setting of the Ranjit Tiwari-directed film Bell Bottom, Akshay plays an Indian secret agent on a mission to save passengers from hijackings. According to reports, the movie was influenced by actual hijackings of multiple Indian Airlines flights by Khalistani terrorists during the time period the story takes place in. Bell Bottom earned positive reviews in India but received harsh criticism elsewhere and was even outlawed in Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Huma Qureshi, Lara Dutta, and Vaani Kapoor also had lead parts in the movie.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.
