Last year, Bollywood celebrated Republic Day with Fighter, a film that ticked all the patriotic movie boxes—fearless Indian fighter pilots, their camaraderie, and a familiar adversary in Pakistan. This year, the baton passes to Sky Force, a cinematic retelling of a significant real-life event from the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict. The story centers on a daring mission during which an Indian squadron decimated a fleet of advanced American jets stationed at the Pakistani base in Sargodha. At the heart of this operation is an extraordinary tale of a pilot on standby, who defies orders, takes off in an unfit aircraft, and becomes instrumental in saving his squadron.

This true story of T Vijaya (portrayed by newcomer Veer Pahariya)—the real-life AB Devayya—is brimming with heroism, deserving of awe and celebration. Yet, the film falters in giving its central hero the spotlight he deserves. Instead, the narrative skews toward Akshay Kumar’s character, Wing Commander KO Ahuja (inspired by OP Taneja), sidelining Pahariya’s arc. The film bends over backward to keep Ahuja front and center, emphasizing his relentless search for a missing team member amid bureaucratic hurdles. While this subplot offers moments of tension, it overshadows the far more compelling story of Vijay’s courage in the face of certain death.

The female characters, unfortunately, remain relegated to conventional roles as dutiful wives. Nimrat Kaur plays Akshay’s spouse, while Sara Ali Khan portrays Pahariya’s, with their presence limited to embodying family life and domesticity. Their roles lack depth and feel like missed opportunities for adding meaningful layers to the narrative.

The film delivers intense aerial dogfight sequences with a rousing background score, but it stumbles in balancing drama and action. Veer Pahariya brings sincerity to his role, but Akshay Kumar’s casting as a younger pilot feels unconvincing, though his grizzled and grey look in later scenes suits him better.

Interestingly, the film’s most poignant moment comes from a secondary character—a squadmate initially assigned a lighthearted scene. His journey reminds us of the unshakable bond of brotherhood in the armed forces, the idea of “no one left behind.” It’s a rare and moving highlight in a film that otherwise struggles to do justice to its incredible source material. Despite its potential, Sky Force doesn’t fully soar, weighed down by a lack of focus and an uneven narrative.

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