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Some themes in cinema are hard to get wrong — a mother’s love, an underdog’s victory, and a martyr’s sacrifice, to name a few. Specifically, in India’s context, there’s a reason why the early morning dose of Des Rangila does not annoy us on Republic Day. Love for the nation is one of our deepest emotions. Unlike religion, it is inborn; it gives you an identity and unifies us. Directors Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur’s debut Sky Force comes with a rousing premise around the disappearance of a promising young officer. Unfortunately, the Air Force drama is rushed in its writing and mechanical in its execution, failing to evoke any emotion.
A significant portion of Sky Force is set around the 1965 Sargodha Airstrike, which took place during Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s tenure. Wing Commander K. O. Ahuja (Akshay Kumar) is in charge of training a group of officers, including Squadron Leader T. K. Vijaya (Veer Pahariya), alias Tabby, whom he personally mentors. Tension surges along the Indo-Pak border as Pakistan launches Operation Gibraltar to infiltrate Kashmir. India’s status quo as a peace-loving nation disappoints the soldiers stationed near the border, particularly Ahuja. When the officer expresses his exasperation in clear words, Air Commodore David Lawrence (Manish Chaudhary) tries his best to expedite the necessary approvals. However, it’s all in vain until an eventful night in September, when the Pakistani Air Force strikes an Indian air base, killing several officers and causing significant damage to resources. The government realizes the need to retaliate, and we witness a pivotal chapter in history.
So, where does the series of events leave Tabby who is the film’s emotional anchor? Nowhere. With its brief runtime of a little over two hours, Sky Force may allow for more screenings in cinemas, but this comes at the cost of compromised context. Kewlani and Kapur’s film is one in which we are forced to like its protagonist. Pahariya’s Tabby is undoubtedly talented—he enjoys flying fighter planes and is quite good at it. He is straightforward, loves his wife, and respects his mentor. However, before the film dives into major action, this is all we know about the man we must root for.
Sky Force never tells us about Tabby’s journey to becoming an officer, like they did in Lakshya. He is present from the start, already wearing a sash of patriotism. In Border, a brief village getaway with Lt. Dharamvir Singh Bhan (Akshaye Khanna) gives us the background we need. It’s melodramatic, and emotional and is gold-standard desi cinema. The issue with Sky Force isn’t about being more modern with its elements. The bottle of vintage whiskey in the narrative brims with emotional potency —but where is the build-up? I know it’s 2025, and you wouldn’t expect the metaphor of wind touching a blind mother’s feet. Then again, context and drama never go out of fashion.
Keeping patriotism aside, a film based on the armed forces can provide pure adrenaline. Kewlani and Kapur’s film has major action scenes imagined in studio-shot set pieces. The faces are masked, and the voices are muffled, naturally reducing its possibilities for dramatization, unlike an army film, where the combat is physical. The most dramatic moment during combat occurs when Tabby looks at a photograph of his wife (Sara Ali Khan) before making a monumental decision. Despite all that, the character comes off as disobedient to the average viewer. The screenplay is such that we constantly find ourselves on the side of the unrelenting officers (Manish Chaudhary, Varun Badola), who point out Tabby’s unprofessional ways. Ahuja, at no point, explains his subordinate’s behavior making the latter appear to be a problem child. This is also an angle that downplays the film’s emotionally staged finale. Should young officers be overlooked for using expensive resources, defying their seniors, and working entirely on intuition? It’s less about the soldier’s bravery and more about how you portray a system and its highly disciplined ways.
Among the things I liked is Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran’s cinematography which transports us to a bygone era without sepia tints. The sound designer (Ganesh Gangadharan) appears to be in awe of the film’s scale. So, you hear all the foley sounds and loud background music (Justin Varghese), while the exchanges between people remain inaudible throughout the combat scenes. The reason? The pilots are masked, and the speech is meant to be realistic. The irony! Sky Force wants to be mainstream and has a barrage of songs—none of which work. A throaty B Praak might seem like the right candidate for a patriotic number, but there’s only so much a bland Tanishk Bagchi tune can do. You feel the difference during the end credits, where they play ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’ in Lata Mangeshkar’s resounding voice.
Sky Force also likes to dress up, so it deliberately avoids getting dirty. The styling is always on point and the makeup seldom washes off. Tabby’s wife seems to wear Kanjeevaram and malli poo even in the kitchen. The film spares us from an accent—probably because the actors are incapable—but the dressiness is hilarious. In a later scene, the production design team (Sujeet Subhash Sawant & Sriram Kannan Iyengar) gets too immersed in portraying what they believe is an authentic rendition of ‘South Indian’ poverty. It’s funny when you see it all with Sara Ali Khan’s distraught face caked with layers of makeup.
ALSO READ: ‘Fighter’ review – Hrithik Roshan propels an electrifying Air Force tribute
In the absence of concrete character trajectories, the redeeming elements of the film are one, Akshay Kumar, and two, its intent. K. O. Ahuja is a prototype that Kumar has constantly played in recent times. The actor does it very well, although it is tiringly derivative. Veer Pahariya strangely doesn’t get much scope in a film touted as his big debut. That said, Sky Force does nothing to consciously reveal his limited acting skills, as it is a film about him, not one that he drives. Sara Ali Khan continuously huffs and sighs in her interpretation of a bereaved wife, whereas Nimrat Kaur gets to wear some stunning sarees. Sharad Kelkar is the only supporting cast member who makes a reasonable impact. The characters who die in the first major enemy attack expect us to mourn for them, but the film’s hurried writing ensures we do not.
This way, the problem with Sky Force is the bizarre battle between what it wants to be and what it is. As a Republic Day banger, the film has zero memorable dialogues. There is no song you would shed a tear to and walk out of the hall humming. Do you remember ‘Ek Saathi Aur Bhi Tha’ from LOC: Kargil? That kind. Speaking of what it is, Sky Force (in a food context) is like an exotic dish the chef serves in an upscale restaurant. It looks appetizing, and you are expected to savor it. We cannot do so because we never see the components being cut, flavored, ground, and simmered. In the process, Akshay Kumar’s film becomes a plate of lasagna with Indian seasoning, served to a crowd that craves biryani, butter chicken, and lassi with piping hot paranthas. Go figure!
Rating: ★★
