Runway 34….The third time is the charm for Ajay Devgn as a director!
Read Full Runway 34 Movie Review:
Director: Ajay Devgn
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, Angira Dhar
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 2h 21m
After Shivaay, Devgn has donned the director’s hat again for this aviation drama. For the unversed, Runway 34 is inspired by the true events of Jet Airways Doha to Kochi flight 9W 555 which narrowly escaped a bad landing due to harsh weather and unclear visibility. A mayday call (distress call for emergency) had to be initiated then.
Storyline:
Ajay plays the arrogant know-it-all pilot Captain Vikrant Khanna; who has a photographic memory and is perpetually seen with a cigarette in his mouth. (Jalaya toh nahi na, he mocks back whenever anyone admonishes him).
Rakul Preet Singh is his co-pilot Tanya Albuquerque (‘Albacocky’ – the hotshot Vikrant sneers at her). She admires his flying skills but is taken aback to see her idol behaving in a less-than-ideal way. The duo share a tense dynamic throughout the flight; Vikrant is irritated at having his seniority questioned, while Tanya though scared and reluctant, still voices out that Vikrant is making a mistake.
Also Read: (Runway 34 Based On TRUE STORY!)
Things take a sharp dive when they have to risk the lives of almost 150 passengers to safely make their landing in a turbulent storm. With time and fuel both running out, disaster is just a split-second error away.
Though they get hailed as heroes when they land, the incident doesn’t escape the keen eye of aviation expert Narayan Vedant (Amitabh Bachchan) who wants to find out if there was any gross negligence involved.
He takes a personal interest in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s inquiry against Vikrant-Tanya and an intense courtroom battle ensues…..
Watch Runway 34 to see how things unfold….
What Do We Think:
The story quickly takes off in the first half and the flight scenes through turbulence and the scary landing will keep you gripped. Aakanksha Singh appears in a barely-there role as Ajay’s wife and hey, there’s a Carry Minati cameo too.
Ajay-Rakul’s tense chemistry works for the most part. Big B-Ajay’s face-off in the courtroom is entertaining but after a while, feels a little draggy. Bachchan’s lawyer act feels a bit been-there, done-that.
Angira Dhar has a negligible role as Vikrant’s lawyer. Boman Irani plays the Skyline Airway owner and does his short part well.
Overall, the first half is engaging and the VFX is quite neat too. Runway 34 loses steam in the 2nd half but it has already nailed the landing!
Hit Or Miss?
If you like aviation films, be sure to check this out at the theatres. It makes for a decent watch!