Neerja Bhanot

Neerja Bhanot (Hindi: नीरजा भनोट) AC (7 September 1963 – 5 September 1986) was a purser for Pan Am, based in Mumbai, India, who was murdered while saving passengers from terrorists on board the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 on 5 September 1986. Posthumously, she became the youngest recipient of India's highest peacetime military award for bravery, the Ashok Chakra.

Early life, education and marriage

Neerja Bhanot was born in Chandigarh, India, the daughter of Rama Bhanot and Harish Bhanot, a Mumbai-based journalist.

Bhanot had an arranged marriage in March 1985 and joined her husband in the Gulf. However, the marriage turned sour following dowry pressure and she returned to her parents' home in Mumbai within two months. She then applied for a flight attendant job with Pan Am, and upon selection, went to Miami for training as a flight attendant but returned as purser.

Career

Bhanot was the senior flight purser on the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 73, which was hijacked by four armed men. As the plane was on the tarmac, the three-member American cockpit crew of pilot, co-pilot and the flight engineer evacuated the aircraft per their training so that the aircraft could not be forcibly flown. Bhanot, being the most senior cabin crew member aboard, took charge.

Bhanot

Bhanot is a sub-caste of Brahmins in Punjab, India.

References

Neerja

Neerja is an upcoming 2016 Indian biographical film directed by Ram Madhvani starring Sonam Kapoor in titular role and Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Ravjiani in supporting roles. The film was produced by Atul Kasbekar under the banner of Fox Star Studios. The film revolves around the factual hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan specifically focusing on flight attendant Neerja Bhanot. This film shows how the young flight attendant fought for the lives of her passengers. The film is scheduled for release on February 19, 2016.

Plot

The film is based on the life of Neerja Bhanot who was shot dead by terrorists who hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi on 5 September 1986.

Cast

Production

Casting

In January 2015, it was reported that Sonam Kapoor had been selected to play the role of Neerja Bhanot the senior flight crew member, who became the youngest recipient of the bravery award, Ashok Chakra in her biopic. It was also reported that the biopic has been tentatively titled Neerja and will be directed by ad filmmaker Ram Madhvani and that Sonam Kapoor would start shooting for the film once she wrapped up the promotions of Dolly Ki Doli and completes the schedule of Sooraj Barjatya's Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

Pan American World Airways

Pan American World Airways, known from its founding until 1950 as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991. Founded in 1927 as a scheduled air mail and passenger service operating between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba, the airline became a major company credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry, including the widespread use of jet aircraft, jumbo jets, and computerized reservation systems. It was also a founding member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global airline industry association. Identified by its blue globe logo ("The Blue Meatball"), the use of the word "Clipper" in aircraft names and call signs, and the white pilot uniform caps, the airline was a cultural icon of the 20th century. In an era dominated by flag carriers that were wholly or majority government-owned, it was also the unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States. During most of the jet era, Pan Am's flagship terminal was the Worldport located at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.