Akshay Kumar opened his account in 2025 with a story full of enthusiasm. The actor has returned in uniform with Sky Force, the film which is based on India's retaliatory attack on Pakistan's Sargodha airbase in the Indo-Pakistani air war of 1965. This film not only talks about India's first and deadliest air strike but also salutes the bravery and valour of an Air Force officer who made this airstrike successful despite attaining martyrdom.
Story
The story of the film begins in 1971 when the Pakistan Air Force attacks India's airbase. In return, the Indian force retaliates and captures Pakistani pilot Ahmed Hussain (Sharad Kelkar). Wing Commander KO Ahuja (Akshay Kumar) interrogates Ahmed. During the interrogation, he learns that Ahmed was awarded after the 1965 Sargodha attack. This is where Ahuja's suspicion arises and he gets the first clue. The story moves forward 6 years. In a flashback to 1965, Ahuja is posted at Adampur Airbase, where he trains his comrades for war. These include Vijaya (debutant Veer Pahariya) and others. Ahuja sees his martyred brother in Vijay, who is a passionate but rebellious young officer. This is where the story gets exciting.
After Pakistan attacks the Indian airbase, several lives are lost and India takes on the Pakistani Air Force with the help of its weak aircrafts. To destroy Pakistan's modern and new technology aircraft, Skyforce Mission is planned under the leadership of Ahuja. India achieves success in this, but one of the companions goes missing in this mission. This is none other than T Vijaya. After this accident, the life of Wing Commander Ahuja turns upside down. The film then unravels what happened to the family as 23 years pass by in the search for Vijaya.
Direction and writing
Director Abhishek Anil Kapoor and Sandeep Kewlani have presented a story which very few people would know. Despite being based on a real incident, the film is entertaining and keeps you hooked. The suspense in the story is also maintained till the end. The action scenes and war scenes are excellent. The cinematography of the airbase attack is superb, it completely keeps the audience engaged in the story. It is natural to get teary-eyed in emotional moments. Many frames fill you with enthusiasm. Akshay Kumar's passionate dialogues and apt songs leave no stone unturned in bringing life to the film.
The VFX work is amazing in some places. There are a few places where you will have to be content with less, especially in the initial aerial scenes. This film with a runtime of 125 minutes does not seem stretched anywhere, that is, the flow of the story has been maintained strong. The aerial battle scenes are quite impressive, but they have not been able to match the Hollywood level. There are many songs in the film and all of them fit the story.
Acting
Akshay Kumar shins as a determined Air Force officer. Akshay has presented the seriousness of a senior officer with ease. The uniform has always suited him and this time too he has not failed to enhance its dignity and grace. In the film, he has managed to keep alive the spirit of never giving up. His chemistry with Nimrat Kaur, who plays his wife, is unmatched. In many parts of the film, their last film together, Airlift comes to mind. Nimrat adds warmth to the story. Her role is quite small, but it creates curiosity to know more about her. The conviction with which she holds Akshay's hand, supports him and looks at him with sad eyes gives more depth to this filmy relationship.
This is Veer Pahadia's debut film but his work is just satisfactory. The first performance does not leave much impact. He has got many strong dialogues but there is a lack of enthusiasm and passion in them. He is not able to match Akshay Kumar's energy. On the other hand, Sara Ali Khan, who has done about 10 films so far, has disappointed once again. There is only one expression on her face throughout the film. She is playing the role of a South Indian woman, but she has not been able to adapt to the character. The swag of an officer's wife is missing in her performance. Moreover, the chemistry between Veer and Sara is zero. Sharad Kelkar is perfect in the role of a Pakistani officer. He has left an impression even in a few scenes. Manish Chaudhary is also impressive in the role of David Lawrence.
Verdict
Overall, if some scenes of Veer Pahadia and Sara Ali Khan can be ignored, then this is a film worth watching. Along with justifying the glorious Indian victory story, Sky Force also salutes the spirit of Indian bravehearts. The film deserves three stars out of 5.
