Maddock Films has given reasons to celebrate patriotism with Skyforce, a tale of brave heart Airforce Pilots of India, released ahead of Republic Day on January 24th,2024.

Directed by debutants  Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani, the film stars Akshay Kumar portraying Wing Commander K.O. Ahuja, and Debutant Veer Pahariya who portrayed T Vijaya (Dabby) the Indian Air Force officers, alongside Sara Ali Khan, Nimrat Kaur, and Sharad Kelkar in pivotal roles.

This heroic tale is based on India's retaliatory attack on the Sargodha airbase of Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani air war of 1965, described as India's first and deadliest airstrike. The film is not just a film, it's a roller coaster of adrenaline rush, sacrifices, tears, and emotional moments portraying the lives of our soldiers at the war front.

The film begins with high-octane action and dogfights and training sequences of the Army Pilots led by Akshay Kumar, while it twists setting the deep emotional sense of 'one for all and all for one' connection of these officers who risk their lives for the sake of their nation, duty and sacrifice which eventually becomes a tale to pursue  justice in the climax.

The film questions why Indian Authorities chose retaliatory attacks in the first place. The film showcases our Army was in full form, and well-researched about the enemy that would have made the win much easier if the attack had been initiated by us in time. But the irony was they never got orders from the top to attack first until, our Airforce bunkers were air raided to lose our Air Force units, pilots, and fighter planes destroyed in split seconds. The film grips a harsh reality that had an action be taken in time it could have saved both our men and resources., but it wasn't!

Again, the film questions on what is the value of an Indian soldier lost in the war in the eyes of bureaucrats and politicians? Why it took 21 years to find T Vijaya, while his senior Ahuja struggled to find him single-handedly proving to the authorities, that his madness to take action and risk his life to save his teammates was nothing but equivalent to patriotism to sacrifice himself for the nation, that finally lead to awarding him with Maha Veer Chakra posthumously.



Veer Pahariya as T Vijaya (Dabby) doesn't come out to be a debutant and excels at making an impression as an Air Force pilot. He proves to have the charisma of a real hero, who's fearless, bold and brash and dares to sacrifice his life for the nation. His layered character portrays his emotional side, while he is shown transforming from an overconfident rebellious officer to a responsible soldier who takes life-and-death decisions to save his teammates and ends up sacrificing his own life.


Akshay Kumar as Wing Commander K.O. Ahuja, owns every second he's on the screen, he's not just an action hero or a fighter pilot, but a seasoned military man, a very balanced leader who is also a protector. He knows not only how to charge his team of pilots ‘Tigers' but also equips them with self-protective techniques and split-second alertness to re-bounce back on the enemy, making their strength their weakness. His layered character bestowed an underlying vulnerability and an emotional attachment to each member of his team, which gave emotional strength and depth to the plot.

Sara Ali Khan's portrayal as Geeta the pregnant wife of Vijaya brings a serious note to the story that behind every soldier is a family, which lives on with his memories even when he's lost in a war. She portrays a terrified wife who's scared of the unknown when her husband goes to war and does not return. She single-handedly brings up her daughter with her husband's dream to make her a fighter pilot. Her performance is so heartfelt that you feel like hugging her and consoling her for her loss.

Nimrat Kaur too plays a strong wife to Ahuja, who keeps him grounded despite all his pain and anxiety in the testing times, she anchors him reminding us that behind every successful man, there is a woman.

Overall, a must-watch film for every patriot of this country on the occasion of Republic Day!

Critic Ratings

4 / 5