Some films don’t just entertain, they become part of a nation’s collective memory. One such film is Airlift, which completed ten years on January 21, 2026. Released on January 21, 2016, Akshay Kumar starrer went on to redefine patriotic cinema in Bollywood, leaving audiences emotional and proud even a decade later.
What made Airlift truly special was the scale of its achievement, both on screen and at the box office. Made on a modest budget of just Rs 30 crore, the film went on to earn a staggering Rs 221 crore worldwide. At a time when several big-budget films were struggling to survive, director Raja Krishna Menon took a bold gamble by backing a real-life story rooted in realism rather than spectacle. The risk paid off handsomely, as the film connected deeply with viewers and critics alike. As per a website, Airlift earned more than seven times its budget, making it one of the biggest and most influential successes of Akshay Kumar’s career.
In the film, Akshay Kumar played Ranjit Katyal, a businessman who steps up during the 1990 Gulf War to help rescue nearly 170,000 Indians stranded in Kuwait. His performance stood out for its restraint and emotional depth. Without loud dialogues or exaggerated heroics, Akshay portrayed fear, determination and patriotism with quiet strength, making the story feel authentic and deeply human.
Nimrat Kaur’s role added warmth and emotional balance to the narrative, while the film’s music struck a lasting chord. The song Tu Bhoola Jise continues to be remembered as one of the most moving patriotic tracks in Hindi cinema. Beyond its cinematic appeal, Airlift highlighted the world’s largest civilian evacuation mission, carried out after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. The coordinated efforts of the Indian government and Air India finally received the recognition they deserved through this film.
Airlift also marked a turning point in Akshay Kumar’s career. Moving away from his long-standing ‘Khiladi’ image, he firmly established himself as a serious, content-driven actor. The film proved that strong storytelling does not need item numbers or over-the-top action to succeed.
Even today, whenever Indians are evacuated from crisis-hit regions like Ukraine or Sudan, memories of Airlift resurface. Ten years on, the film remains as powerful on OTT platforms as it was on the big screen, standing tall as a benchmark for meaningful, impactful cinema made with limited resources.
