‘Sky Force’ Movie Review: Akshay Kumar Overshadows a Struggling Veer Pahariya and Yet the War Drama Refuses To Take Flight! (LatestLY Exclusive)
Sky Force Movie Review: Before Sky Force hit theatres, my social media was flooded with memes and posts hyping its debutant actor, Veer Pahariya, as the next big thing in Bollywood. Now that I’ve seen the film, I have one message for his PR team: at least let him dominate Akshay Kumar in the movie before making him dominate Bollywood. Sky Force was supposed to be about his character, but instead, it seems preoccupied with other plans amid all the smoke and debris. ‘Sky Force’: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Attends Special Screening of Akshay Kumar-Veer Pahariya’s Aerial Actioner in Delhi (Watch Video).
Based on the real-life stories of Mahavir Chakra awardee Ajjamada B. Devaiah and Veer Chakra awardee OP Taneja, Sky Force has an inherently captivating story to tell. Unfortunately, that’s something you’d be better off reading about, as the movie takes a rather dull approach to exploring it – when it isn’t busy giving every inch of screen space to Akshay Kumar.
Watch the Trailer of ‘Sky Force’:
Directed by Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur, the film dramatises and fictionalises real events, even changing character names. OP Taneja becomes Wing Commander Kumar Om Ahuja (Akshay Kumar), and Ajjamada Devaiah is reimagined as Ahuja’s favourite cadet, TK Vijaya, aka Tabby (Veer Pahariya). The movie begins during the 1971 Indo-Pak war after the Indian Air Force downs a Pakistani fighter jet and captures its pilot. As Ahuja interrogates him, he’s forced to revisit memories of the 1965 war and his bond with Tabby.
‘Sky Force’ Movie Review – A Tale of Two Discordant Halves
Sky Force is a tale of two halves. The first half borrows liberally from Top Gun to establish Tabby’s reckless, impetuous nature – though even this is often sidelined whenever Ahuja is on screen. Ahuja’s soft spot for Tabby stems from his resemblance to Ahuja’s late younger brother. During the 1965 war, after a Pakistani air strike on their base, Ahuja’s squad is tasked with destroying Pakistan’s Sargodha airfield, home to their American-made Starfighter planes. Tabby is initially put on reserve but later mysteriously flies out and vanishes in enemy territory.
A Still From Sky Force
The second half revolves around Ahuja’s attempts to uncover Tabby’s fate and ensure his legacy is honoured. This storyline – the heart of Sky Force – should have been its focal point. Instead, the film tries to be a war movie, a star vehicle for Akshay Kumar, and a patriotic spectacle all at once, losing sight of its core narrative.
Whenever a film about air warfare is made, Top Gun inevitably becomes the benchmark, as Siddharth Anand’s Fighter discovered last year. While Top Gun was entirely fictional, it succeeded in making viewers feel the rush and stakes of aerial combat.
A Still From Sky Force
That visceral adrenaline—the “need for speed”—is missing here. Sky Force boasts decent (if not groundbreaking) battle sequences, but they lack the necessary emotional weight and thrill. The editing undermines the impact of key moments, while the deafening background score drowns out crucial dialogue, though Akshay Kumar’s narration somehow cuts through the noise.
‘Sky Force’ Movie Review – Fails to Recognise Its Central Character
The real disappointment, however, lies in the film’s neglect of Tabby’s character. The filmmakers seem to know his story is pivotal but fail to develop it meaningfully. They rely on the audience to admire his heroics based on the achievements of his real-life counterpart, offering only fleeting glimpses of his sacrifice.
A Still From Sky Force
Instead, the narrative filters everything through Ahuja, who is played by Akshay Kumar in his usual stoic, one-note style. While his agility is commendable – especially in the scene where the Indian air base is attacked – his performance often feels like he’s sleepwalking through the role. Ahuja becomes less of a character and more of a moralising trope, even winning over a captured Pakistani pilot (Sharad Kelkar) with his unwavering principles and gentlemanly demeanour. Surf Excel wouldn’t stand a chance against him; there’s not a single stain on his righteousness.
A Still From Sky Force
And since Akshay Kumar is in the lead role, how can the movie not lean into Bollywood’s New India flavorisms? Even though Sky Force is set a few decades ago, Akshay still finds the space to deliver a line like, “Ghar mein ghus ke maarna hai,” and his character’s frustration with the then ‘peace’ loving system not allowing him to act on it is repeated a couple of times. Fighter Movie Review: Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone’s Aerial Actioner Gets Grounded By Its Generic Storytelling Beats.
‘Sky Force’ Movie Review – Veer Pahariya Disappoints
There’s no denying Akshay’s screen presence – he’s the kind of actor who commands attention even when he’s just standing in the frame. This makes it a tall order for young Veer Pahariya to hold his own. If he has to impress, he not only needs to put in the effort but also needs the space to shine rather than being relegated to looking like a younger Angad Bedi.
A Still From Sky Force
Ideally, the first half of Sky Force should have focused more on Veer Pahariya’s character, with the second half shifting its attention to Akshay’s character as he unravels what happened to the former. While the film seems to aim for this structure, Akshay’s larger-than-life presence dominates so much of the screen time that Pahariya’s character struggles to stay afloat. Yes, the young actor still has miles to go in terms of delivering a commendable performance, but the limited scope of his role shouldn’t have undermined the film’s narrative focus.
A Still From Sky Force
This imbalance becomes particularly evident in the second half, where between the melodrama and the repeated use of “Kya Meri Yaad Aati Hai” song, Sky Force attempts to scrape together some investigative moments from Akshay’s character, Ahuja, before arriving at its big revelatory finale. Unfortunately, the finale doesn’t feel revelatory enough. The buildup could have been much stronger, and while the action sequences are commendably shot, they lack the emotional depth needed to truly resonate. Operation Valentine Movie Review: Varun Tej and Manushi Chillar’s Aerial War Drama Fails to Make an Impactful Airstrike!
PS: Can we talk about Nimrat Kaur? She looks absolutely gorgeous here, but why is she billed as a ‘special appearance’ when she has more screen time than Sara Ali Khan? Speaking of Sara, she feels miscast – as does her onscreen husband – if we’re expected to take them seriously as Kannadigas.
‘Sky Force’ Movie Review – Final Thoughts
I understand that Sky Force is marketed as an Akshay Kumar movie, catering to his fans with all that was promised. However, this shouldn’t have come at the expense of overshadowing what could have been a compelling real-life story of bravery – where his character didn’t need to be the central focus, and it suffers over this uneven narration and an overt reliance on patriotic themes. For once, I wish Bollywood filmmakers would let their storytelling evoke patriotism naturally, rather than having their characters shout it into our ears. That wait continues to be longer…
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of Today News 24.)
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Jan 24, 2025 02:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
