Sonam Kapoor to play Neerja, Mumbai girl who died saving passengers

Neerja, being the most senior cabin crew member on board, took charge. The terrorists then instructed her to collect the passports of all the passengers so that they could identify the Americans. But Neerja and the other attendants under her charge hid the passports of the 41 Americans on board. After 17 hours, the hijackers opened fire and set off explosives. Neerja opened the emergency door and helped a number of passengers escape. She could have been the first to jump out when she opened the door, but she decided not to, and was shot while shielding three children from a hail of bullets. Neerja was recognised internationally as the heroine of the hijack and became the youngest person to receive the prestigious gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, posthumously.

This brave heart started off as a model, post which she went on to have an arranged marriage in 1985 that went sour, and she returned to live with her parents in Mumbai. She then trained to become an air hostess, post which she joined Pan Am. We have learnt that the stunning Sonam Kapoor will play the role of Neerja. The film that is currently also titled Neerja will be directed by renowned ad filmmaker Ram Madhvani, and will begin shooting in Mumbai in about two months after Sonam completes Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

Kangana Ranaut and Sonakshi Sinha too, will soon be part of biopics and it seems that this trend, that was started by Vidya Balan playing Silk Smitha, looks all set to grow, with more and more of our top actresses now doing biopics.

Sonakshi Sinha will play the eminent author-poet Amrita Pritam in a biopic. Kangana Ranaut will essay the role of a mountaineer in a film to be directed by Hansal Mehta.