'Runway 34' review: Ajay Devgn's hard-hitting dialogues leave strong impact on viewers

Based on a true event, Runway 34 revolves around pilot Vikrant Khanna, played by Ajay Devgn, who faces a horrific incident after taking a challenging call several thousand feet above the ground. Amid no fuel in the plane, zero visibility, and a panicky situation, pilot Khanna makes a safe yet uneasy landing on Runway 34. Following this, an inquiry is called which puts the pilot in trouble leading to a legal battle with one of the most brilliant and sharp investigating officers, Amitabh Bachchan (Narayan Vedant).

Runway 34 is inspired by a true event of the Jet Airways Doha to Kochi flight 9W 555, which had a narrow escape on August 18, 2015, after facing difficulties landing at the Cochin International Airport due to bad weather. The film is built on a similar premise as the 2016 film, Sully. The film follows Sullenberger's January 2009 emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, in which all 155 passengers and crew survived.

What works in the film?

The story starts with Pilot Vikrant Khanna (Ajay Devgn) starting off his round trip from Dubai to Cochin with First Officer Tanya Alburqurque (Rakul Preet Kaur). Amid this, Vikrant has to face some torrid weather conditions after which he makes challenging calls that are warned by the First Officer. Vikrant Khanna is a pilot with excellent skills to boost his ego. Changing the flight’s alternate decision leads to a huge loss of fuel and zero visibility. Later, within no time, he flags the May Day signal ahead of the landing. The way he manages to make a risky landing looks realistic and nothing unnecessary. The summons sent to Khanna arouses curiosity among viewers thinking “WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?”.

Vikrant Khanna, played by Ajay Devgn, is the most complex and incredibly played character in the film. Ajay knows how to convince the audience by any means, be it the dialogue delivery or the cool attitude he has maintained during the whole film.

Amitabh Bachchan's role as an investigation official doesn't go unnoticed as he plays the character of Narayan Vedant. Following the incident, Vedant investigates the case and is determined to get to the bottom of the tragedy. We can't deny the fact that Big B's exceptional execution of the role has added more life to Runway 34.

The comedic element integrated into the screenplay didn’t seem forced or unnecessary. The creators have used proper sound effects and screenplay to convey that the scene is meant to be funny. One of the most poignant scenes of the film is where Amitabh Bachchan gives an example of an ostrich in resemblance to Ajay Devgn while drilling him in the courtroom turns trial. It turns into a comic one when it has a befitting reply from the latter in defence. VFX have been used smartly in the film which will surely make the audience come at the edge of their seats. The way the plane has been videographed from high to low angles leaves an impact as it keeps the audience intrigued until the first half. The movie’s runtime is about 2 hours 30 minutes but it keeps the audience engaged with the way it approached the climax. Aseem Bajaj’s cinematography keeps the screenplay interesting, while the music and the lyrics support the plot.

Rakul Preet Kaur has done a commendable job in the film. She wonderfully plays First Officer Tanya Albuquerque who is one of the biggest admirers of Captain Vikrant and is surprised by the latter's photogenic memory. The film sees a lot of drama with Rakul experiencing panic attacks during the flight and how Ajay manages the situation.

Supporting actors like Boman Irani, Angira Dhar, and Aakanksha Singh did justice to their roles making the film look balanced. There is a scene where the pilot controls the panic situation on the flight when the passengers refuse to listen to the cabin crew members. Ajay’s conversation with an old lady on light may bring tears into your eyes which can’t be missed.

What doesn’t work? 

Though the first half of the film is captivating, the second half could have been better with more elements of courtroom scenes. Boman Irani’s performance in Runway 34 has completely been overshadowed by the lead actors in the film. He could have justified his role in the trial portion which completely went bland. The second half lacked several questions that the investigation officer should have put in front of Ajay, Rakul, Boman, and other cast members during the trial but it was only limited to Yes OR No.

Carry Minati also made a guest appearance in the film as he was one of the passengers on board who was seemingly recording his blog. His acting and the delivery of the dialogue didn’t leave an impact but it could have been better if he was a part of the trial. The aviation journalist, who informed the passengers about the Pilot’s wrong choice of landing, was all silent during the trial. Cross-questioning him would have made the film more gripping than it is now. The same goes with Aakanksha, Angira, and Boman who missed contributing to the trial.

FINAL REVIEW:

Runway 34 is a masterpiece of filmmaking that should not be missed. The film's first half was undoubtedly marvelous but it would have fascinated the audiences more if the landing scene was stretched a bit. If you love suspense and VFX oriented films, then it is a highly recommended one. The Ajay Devgn directorial plays smartly on the viewer's psyche making them see what could go wrong with a flight's landing during a bad weather condition. The film reads out a loud message of not losing hope in whatever situation a person is stuck into, however, making it a must-watch.

RATINGS: 3.5/5         

Image: Instagram/@ajaydevgn