Sky Force (film)
2025 Indian film by Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
{{Infobox film | name = Sky Force | image = Sky Force poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster
| director =
- Sandeep Kewlani
- Abhishek Anil Kapur
| writer =
- Sandeep Kewlani
- Aamil Keeyan Khan
- Carl Austin
- Niren Bhatt
| producer =
- Jyoti Deshpande
- Amar Kaushik
Bhaumik Gondaliya - Dinesh Vijan
| starring =
- Akshay Kumar
- Veer Pahariya
- Sara Ali Khan
- Nimrat Kaur
| cinematography = Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran
| editing = A. Sreekar Prasad
| music = Songs:
Tanishk Bagchi
Score:
[[Justin Varghese]
}}
| distributor = PVR Inox Pictures
| released =
- 24 January 2025
| runtime = 125 minutes[1] | country = India | language = Hindi | budget = ₹160 crore[2][3] | gross = ₹ 144–168.88 crore[4][5] }}
Sky Force is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language action drama film centred around India's first airstrike at the Sargodha airbase of Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani air war of 1965.[6][7] The film stars Akshay Kumar and newcomer Veer Pahariya, alongside Sara Ali Khan and Nimrat Kaur.[8] It is directed by Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani, and produced by Maddock Films and Jio Studios.[9]
Officially announced in October 2023, Sky Force began filming in May 2023 in Mumbai.[10] The principal photography wrapped up in late-April 2024, spanning 100 days, with shooting held in parts of India and the UK.[11][12]
Sky Force was theatrically released on 24 January 2025, coinciding with the Republic Day weekend and the movie got a average verdict.[13]
- Veer Pahariya as T. Krishna Vijaya "Tabby" (fictionalisation of Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya MVC) [14]
- Maahir Raghuvanshi as young Tabby
- Sara Ali Khan as Geeta Vijaya
- Nimrat Kaur as Preeti Ahuja
- Sharad Kelkar as Ahmed Hussain (fictionalisation of Squadron Leader Amjad Hussain)
- Mohit Chauhan as Air Chief Marshal Arjun Sinha (fictionalisation of Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh)
- Manish Choudhary as Air Commodore David Lawrance
- Varun Badola as Air Vice Marshal Amit Narang
- Virendra Singh Patyal as Servant of Air Chief Marshal Arjun Sinha
- Anupam Joardar as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, President of India
- Jaywant Wadkar as Defence Minister Yashwantrao Chavan
- Soham Majumdar as Debashish "Cockroach" Chatterjee
- Abhinav Bhattacharjee as Amod Pandit
- Ritik Ghanshani as Prakash "Panther" Rajput
- Lakshay Kheterpal as Faisal Ali
- Bryan Lawrence as George Red
- Tim Hudson as John Peterson, author of Battle for Pakistan, The Air War of 1965 (fictionalisation of John Fricker)[15]
- Fayaz Khan as Tiger Squadron Pilot "Duck"
- Karan Chaudhary as Tiger Squadron Pilot "Goat"
- Ramakrishna Dixit as Tiger Squadron Pilot "Rhino"
- Ankit Kaushik as Tiger Squadron Pilot "Owl"
- Sagar Rana as Tiger Squadron Pilot "Scorpio"
- Vishal Jinwal as Tiger Squadron Pilot "Shark"
- Lakshay Chawla as Tiger Squadron Pilot "Spider"
- Abhishek Mahendra as Tiger Squadron Pilot "Fox"
- Lal Bahadur Shastri as himself (archival footage)
}}
Production
The film first came into development in June 2022, with pre-production done by March 2023.[16][17] The film was officially announced on 2 October 2023, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.[18][19] The film is inspired by India's retaliatory attack on Pakistan's Sargodha airbase in the Indo-Pakistani air war of 1965.[20][21]
Filming
Principal photography began on 31 May 2023 in Mumbai.[22] Filming moved to Lucknow in August 2023.[23][24] The shooting was officially wrapped up on 26 April 2024.[25][26]
The film was shot over a period of 100 days (including 60 days for Akshay Kumar) in locations such as Mumbai, Lucknow, Sitapur, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pathankot and United Kingdom.[27] A special song involving Veer Pahariya and Sara Ali Khan was shot in Mussoorie.[28] Filming including patchwork concluded on 17 December 2024.[29][30]
Soundtrack
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| Sky Force | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |||||
| Released | 28 January 2025 | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | ||||
| Length | 21:48 | ||||
| Language | Hindi | ||||
| Label | Saregama | ||||
| Tanishk Bagchi chronology | |||||
| |||||
| |||||
The songs of the film are composed by Tanishk Bagchi which marks his debut as a solo composer while the background score is composed by Justin Varghese. The lyrics are written by Irshad Kamil, Manoj Muntashir and Shloke Lal. The first single titled "Maaye" was released on 8 January 2025.[31] The second and third and fourth single titled "Kya Meri Yaad Aati Hai" and "Aankhon Mein Base Ho Tum" and "Maine Dil Se Poochha" was released on 11 January 2024.[32] The third single titled "Rang" was released on 17 January 2025.[33] The 1963 Lata Mangeshkar song "Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon" is used for an emotional tribute to India's soldiers.[34] The fifth single "Tu Hain Toh Main Hoon" was released on 22 January 2025.[35]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Maaye" | Manoj Muntashir | B Praak | 4:50 |
| 2. | "Tu Hain Toh Main Hoon" | Irshad Kamil | Arijit Singh, Afsana Khan | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Rang" | Shloke Lal | Satinder Sartaaj, Zahrah S. Khan | 3:42 |
| 4. | "Kya Meri Yaad Aati Hai" | Irshad Kamil | Vishal Mishra | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon" | Kavi Pradeep | Lata Mangeshkar | 4:53 |
| Total length: | 21:48 | |||
Release
Theatrical
Initially planned to release on 2 October 2024, Sky Force was later theatrically released on 24 January 2025 in IMAX, 4DX, D-Box and ICE formats.[36]
Home media
The film began streaming on Amazon Prime Video from 21 March 2025.[37]
Reception
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Critical response
Ganesh Aaglave of the Firstpost rated the film 4/5 stars and opined "Sky Force will leave you with goosebumps, a lump in your throat, and maybe even a few tears in your eyes. Right from the action sequences to emotional moments, every frame strikes a chord with the audience. The film brings to life a tale of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering patriotism."[38] Sarika Sharma of Moneycontrol rated the film 4/5 stars and noted "Akshay Kumar and debutant Veer Pahariya pass with flying colours in this patriotic film which has released well on time ahead of Republic Day. It is a must watch this weekend."[39] Dhaval Roy of The Times of India rated the film 3.5/5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Sky Force stands out for its balanced portrayal of patriotism, avoiding overt sensationalism or antagonism. The film is a fitting tribute, making it a must-watch for those who are drawn to war dramas that blend action with heartfelt storytelling. A few bumps in the narrative aside, it's a cinematic flight worth boarding."[40]
Anuj Kumar of The Hindu reviewed the film and highlighted "Skewed storytelling prevents this fictionalised retelling of the feat of a war hero from hitting the horizon".[41] Risabh Suri of the Hindustan Times reviewed the film and noted "Akshay Kumar's measured act balances vulnerability and toughness, elevating this emotional war film. Overall, Sky Force is a well-made film that leaves you pondering what makes our soldiers so selfless."[42] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in reviewed the film and highlighted "Unfortunately, what should have been jettisoned, like fuel during an emergency, is what constitutes the bulk of the plot. By flying into different directions at the same time, Sky Force does itself a disservice."[43]
Sky Force received 3 out of 5 stars from Vineeta Kumar of India Today. Kumar praised the film's restrained approach to jingoism, instead focusing on the story of an unsung war hero.[44] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "It isn't as punishingly long as such action films usually are. The heightened rendition of true events works only intermittently. It loses its way in a surfeit of computer-generated air combat sequences." He also mentioned although Sky Force is patchy, the acting is adequate.[45] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and opined "Sky Force, coasting on the same elements as Fighter, except this one is a thinly-disguised account of a real life incident during the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict." She praised the minimal use of jingoism, the background score and Pahariya's debut.[46][47]
Box office
Pinkvilla reported that after a strong opening weekend (due to heavily discounted ticket rates), the film's collections witnessed a major drop on Monday.[48] The film concluded its run with its worldwide gross estimated to be ₹144–168.60 crore.[4][5]
Controversies
The film was banned across several Arab Gulf states, including the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman.[49]
Some in the Kodava community have disapproved of the misrepresentation of Ajjamada B. Devaiah as Tamil in the film.[50]
References
External links
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