While watching Runway 34, the movie forces a debate in your mind – should an experienced ranger, while dealing with an extreme crisis, stick to the rule book or go with the ‘human instinct’? Is there a need to do a post mortem analysis and enforce disciplinary charges when the job has been done and nothing lost? The line is very thin. And gets thinner when the issue is about human lives.
The inspirations
Runway 34 is heavily based on a true incident in 2015 when a Jet Airways flight from Doha fails to land multiple times (due to poor visibility and cyclonic weather) at Cochin (original destination), and ‘blind lands’ at Trivandrum, seriously risking lives of 150 lives.
Ajay Devgun’s third directorial venture is also heavily inspired (to the point of copied) from ace Hollywood director Clint Eastwood’s classic movie Sully: Miracle on the Hudson.
With such heavyweight background, is Runway 34 worth your time and money?
Pros
- Ajay Devgan as the cocky, arrogant and realist over instinct pilot, who believes in his ‘photographic memory’ and maths is decent. This is not close to his best, but he is good.
- The first half of the movie especially the segment where the pilots and flight crew struggle to make the flight land is good and tense.
- The trials and travails of pilots are well documented and you will come out of the hall appreciating and believing in an airline staff more.
- Rakul Preet is good.
- Amitabh Bachchan as the lawyer is good, his eyes and stern voice command the screen.
Cons
- The second half courtroom scenes are slow, takes long screen time to make basic points, and lack edgy moments.
- Because of the above, you as an audience get disengaged and stop feeling for the characters. (I actually jotted down this review while watching 2nd half of the movie… aside playing with the buttons of the giant plush recliner chairs)
- Bachchan’s excess use of ‘shudh’ Hindi feels like an unnecessary imposition and reminds us of Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent loose statements on the language’s imposition all over India!
- The side characters aren’t given any depth – Boman Irani / Angira Dhar are wasted.
- Devgun’s movies (U Me & Hum; Shivaay also) are obsessed with blue tints… it’s not a negative, but since second half of Runway 34 is very slow, these aspects come to the mind.
Rating 2.5/5
Runway 34 is a good one time watch on OTT; than spend your time and money to watch on big screen. Devgun & Bachchan have collaborated in three movies before: Major Saab, RGV ki Aag and the best one of the lot Khakee. Since I saved your time and money, while on OTT, do watch the brilliant Khakee and Clint Eastwood’s Sully: Miracle on the Hudson too.
Avijit Das Patnaik 