Neerja Bhanot's brother Aneesh Bhanot passes away; Sonam Kapoor condoles

Ashok Chakra Award recipient Neerja Bhanot’s brother Aneesh Bhanot passed away on Friday. Among those who mourned the death was Sonam K Ahuja, who had played the role of his sister in a biopic. The actor conveyed his gratitude to him while praying for his soul.

Sonam Kapoor mourns death of Neerja Bhanot’s brother

Sonam shared a snap where she was seen hugging Aneesh Bhanot at what seemed like an event. The Saawariya star wrote, ‘Om Shanti. Rest in Peace Aneesh Bhanot. Thank You for Everything.’

As per reports, Bhanot was 62 and passed away in Chandigarh. He was suffering from heart illnesses and reportedly collapsed at the gate of his residence after returning from a walk.

Aneesh Bhanot had been seen with Sonam at the time of the release of Neerja in 2016. He had also penned two books Neerja Bhanot - The smile of courage and The Neerja I knew on his sister, and his inputs seem to have come in handy for Sonam and the team.

Neerja Bhanot, then 22, had played a major role in protecting passengers on the Pan Am Flight 73 flight, that was hijacked in Pakistan on September 5, 1986, before being shot dead by the terrorists.

The movie remains the most critically acclaimed film of Sonam on its release on February 19, 2016. Directed by Ram Madhvani, the movie was also a commercial success, earning over Rs 75 crore in India. Aneesh Bhanot was one of the character depicted in the movie.

Sonam often pays her tribute to late Neerja, like on her birth anniversary last year, she had termed the film as a 'life-altering experience.'