- Posted by Filmi Beat, last updated on 28 April, 2022

Story

“I never forget things, I have a photographic memory…” says Captain Vikrant Khanna (Ajay Devgan) over the phone while promising his daughter to come home on her birthday. He spends the night partying with friends and the next day he is assigned a flight from Dubai to Cochin (Skyline 777). He is accompanied by his co-pilot, Tanya (Rakul Preet). What started as a routine journey turns into a terrifying dream when he has to face extremely bad weather. The lives of the passengers of this flight flying at an altitude of 35 thousand feet are in danger. At such times, going against Tanya’s suggestion, Vikrant not only changes the alternate destination of the flight, but also sends a ‘Mayday’ message just before landing. Though Vikrant manages to land the flight safely despite bad weather, poor visibility and lack of fuel, it is still put in the dock. How the investigation proceeds in this case is an important part of the story.

Let us tell you, the word ‘Mayday’ is used under the terminology for Aviation or Marine Traffic Control. This word is used by the pilot when he realizes that his life and that of the passengers are in danger.

acting

Ajay Devgan looks good in the character of pilot Vikrant Khanna. Despite being flamboyant, there is a pause in his character, which the actor has done well. Although it cannot be counted among his best performances. Rakul Preet Singh has been given a lot of opportunity to show emotion in the film and the actress has left no stone unturned here. Amitabh Bachchan is in a limited role but gives weight to the story with his acting. I wish the character of a talented actor like him was written a little more firmly. The scenes between Ajay Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan in the courtroom do not leave much of an impression. Boman Irani, Akanksha Singh and Angira Dhar hardly get a chance to showcase their performances.

directing

After the 2016 film Shivaay, Ajay Devgan has once again taken over the direction of direction. It would not be wrong to say that this is the best of the films directed by him. ‘Runway 34’ attracts attention with its first scene. The first half of the film is very strong. All the things happening inside the plane in mid-air create excitement inside you too. Some moments have been shot in such a way that when your heartbeat also increases. The film is based on true events, so you can relate more to the story. But the film becomes weak once it gets into the courtroom drama zone. Except for some dialogue between Ajay Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan, there is not much in the second half. Trial scenes should have added more drama and layer. The film also fails to answer some important questions.

technical side

Giving information in his interview, Ajay Devgan said that he has worked very hard on the technical level in this film and has also used many such techniques, which are new for the Hindi film industry. However, seeing the film, Ajay Devgan’s words seem to be true. Technically, the film is quite strong. Aseem Bajaj’s cinematography is strong. The special flight inside and post take off scenes are quite exciting and keep you hooked. Dharmendra Sharma’s editing is good.

music

‘The Fall Song’ sung by Jasleen Royal in Runway 34 and ‘Mitra Re’ by Arijit Singh… are the only two songs that connect with the story and the situation. Ajay Devgn has been seen avoiding adding unnecessary songs in the film and it works in favor of the film.

see or not see

This investigative thriller by Ajay Devgan is very strong in the first half. Every scene of the film creates excitement. But as soon as the courtroom drama starts in the second half, the film becomes very slow. The writing is weak in some parts. However, as a director, Ajay Devgan has not left any gap in the technical side in Runway 34 like his previous films. The movie can be seen once in the theatre. 3 stars for ‘Runway 34’ from Filmibeat.