In slides: How Sonam Kapoor brought Neerja Bhanot’s character to life!

Sonam Kapoor: Faced real slaps!

All the scenes in 'Neerja' are as real as truth. Sonam has carried out all the scenes efficiently in the film including those where she gets violently involved with the terrorists. All the slaps and punches which we would see Neerja aka Sonam addressing are all real. In one of the interviews, the fashionista was quoted saying, "During the shoot I had bruises, I hurt my back. I don't ever remember being so tired. Every time they would hit me and slap me, they would (do it) for real."

Sonam Kapoor: Reduced her fees!

Recently, we came across the news that the budget on which 'Neerja' has been made is very less as compared to other recent Bollywood films. With this, we were also exposed to the news which said that Sonam Kapoor apparently reduced her fees for 'Neerja.' Atul Kasbekar, who has turned producer for the film, revealed that Sonam has cut down her fees keeping the limited budget of the film in mind.

Neerja’s advertisements as guide!

Before becoming an air hostess, Neerja Bhanot was a model and featured in various advertisements. Her beauty was indeed compelling and her smile was infectious, leading her to a successful career in modelling. Various advertisements done by her have made their way to the internet and for Sonam Kapoor, they have served as a guide. While she was preparing for her role she carefully studied all the commercials done by Neerja. She then tried to copy her body language and the way Neerja carried herself.

Sonam Kapoor’s connect with Neerja’s family

Before even starting this project, the team of 'Neerja' along with Sonam Kapoor met the family members of Neerja Bhanot. It was only after receiving a positive nod from the family, the cameras went rolling. Sonam revealed that when she met Neerja's mother Rama Bhanot, she had tears in her eyes when Mrs. Bhanot fondly called her 'Laado.' The lady who lost her little princess in a terrorist attack said that Neerja was prettier than Sonam. Neerja's family gave a lot of insights over Neerja's life which helped Sonam curve her character in accordance to real Neerja.

Real voice recordings as reference?

The makers of the film 'Neerja' recently published a voice tape of real Neerja Bhanot interacting with the passengers onboard that hijacked flight. These voice recordings have acted as sole reference material for Sonam. She heard these recordings again and again to understand Neerja's way of communication. She tried to copy her tone and diction while listening to these recordings.

Soonam Kapoor: A trained Air Hostess

In one of the interviews, Sonam Kapoor revealed that she was a little skeptical when the makers approached her to play the character of Neerja. But when she agreed to become Neerja, she left no stone unturned to bring her character to life. Neerja Bhanot was a flight attendant and on that ill-fated day, she headed the team of cabin crew of Pan Am Flight 73. In order to be a perfect air hostess, Sonam underwent a training session and became an air hostess herself. She was once quoted saying, "I never thought of becoming an air hostess. But I was getting trained for this film and I must say that the respect I had for air hostesses has increased a lot now."