Aakaasam Nee Haddhu Ra

Aakaasam Nee Haddhu Ra Story: Sudha Kongara’s Aakaasam Nee Haddhu Ra is an inspiring tale based on Captain GR Gopinath’s Simply Fly and ‘stories from the aviation industry’. Maha (Suriya) is the son of a school teacher (Poo Ramu) who decides to start a low-cost airline that can be aspirational for the less privileged. With inspiration of Paresh (Paresh Rawal), a leader in the aviation industry, will Maha be able to reach for the sky?

Aakaasam Nee Haddhu Ra Review: Aakaasam Nee Haddhu Ra is Suriya’s show all the way, with the actor getting his meatiest role in a while after 24. The actor digs in with his customary tenacity, making us feel Maha’s every emotion, be it in the dramatic scene where he begs for money or the subtle hints of hesitation he feels when asking a loan from his wife (Aparna Balamurali).

Maha’s relationship with his wife is one of the film’s major strengths, with both being individuals who have high-flying dreams. While Aparna’s character’s dream of running a bakery might seem small compared to Maha’s Sudha Kongara does her best to underline the fact that she is breaking the glass ceiling in her own way too. Right from her introduction scene when an older man tells her it’s sons who provide for the family and not daughters, her character questions the patriarchy around her.

Later on in the film, it is her success and support that allows Maha to dream even in his lowest moments. Refreshingly, it is not rousing lines but hard-hitting repartee that dots these scenes. The film has several other moments that make us wonder if these touches are present because the screenplay has been written by women (Shalini Ushadevi and Sudha Kongara). The sensitivity with which the female character is portrayed is definitely admirable and Aparna delivers a spunky performance.

And it’s not just her character; the writing is solid all round. A couple of characters like Mohan Babu’s Naidu and Maha’s friends (Vivekh Prasanna and Krishna Kumar) are strictly fuctional, but Poo Ramu, Karuna and Urvashi’s characters are a stand-out. Beneath the inspiring rags-to-riches tale also lies a solid commentary on caste politics. Maha’s victory doesn’t just see Paresh having to swallow a bitter pill but the film also explores the attitude of that less privileged develop once they become entitled. The downside being, the antagonist’s character borders on caricature.

Right from the start, the film shows us how the nexus between capitalists and bureaucrats has been instrumental in crushing anyone who dares to dream big, after a point, the hurdles that Maha has to cross begin to feel repetitive, making the film seem a bit overlong. But the closing visuals of the joy on the faces of the common folk who take the flight on Maha’s aircraft ensure a smooth touchdown.