Based on a real plane-hijacking incident that took place in Karachi, Pakistan in 1986, thi film centers on the head purser and lead flight attendant on board the Pan-Am flight when it was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists before its take-off from the Karachi airport. The film follows her through the harrowing experience and depicts her heroism in trying to save the lives of the passengers.
The film depicts the terrorists hijacking of the plane, their abrasive treatment of the hostages, and the panic and terror that ensues when the terrorists start shooting the passengers. While there are fatal shots, most of these are implied and depicted off-screen.
Overall, while there are no detailed depictions of violence, there is a sustained sense of threat that exists throughout the film.
Once the hijack sequence begins, the next one and a half hours are extremely intense, both in terms of the feeling of fear among the passengers, and the emotional suffering of Neerja's family, trying to know what is happening on board the aircraft. 379 people on board are under extreme peril throughout.
One of the terrorists has a violent temper, and it appears as if on many occassions, he might kill anybody just for the heck of it. The other terrorists seem more cautious and in control.
One passenger is executed with a shot at the back of his head. His old mother is shown breaking down and weeping. It is extremely sorrowful.
During the shooting spree in the end, a pregnant woman is shown dead, and her husband weeping with his face buried in her belly. The shot is brief, but is extremely sad.
Young children might find the intensity of the movie difficult to handle, especially due to the presence of three children on the aircraft whose lives are in peril, and the fact that this is a true story.
