Sonam Kapoor earned loads of critical acclaim and accolades for her portrayal of Indian head purser Neerja Bhanot in her film Neerja. Neerja died while saving passengers on Pan Am Flight 73 which had been hijacked by terrorists during a stopover in Karachi, Pakistan, on September 5,1986, just two days before her 23rd birthday. Posthumously, she became the youngest recipient of India's highest peacetime gallantry, the Ashoka Chakra Award, as well as several other accolades from the governments of Pakistan and the United States.
Now, Sonam took to Instagram to pay heartfelt tribute to Neerja’s brother Aneesh Bhanot who died today. Close family members said Aneesh was on his way back home from a walk when he collapsed at the entrance gate. He had heart ailments, they added. Sharing a picture with Aneesh, Sonam wrote, “Om Shanti . Rest in peace Aneesh Bhanot. Thank you for everything. #neerja #neerjabhanot.”
Aneesh was an author and philanthropist. He had authored books on his sister’s life, including Neerja Bhanot - The smile of courage and The Neerja I knew.
The film Neerja released in 2016 and was directed by Ram Madhvani. It also starred Jim Sarbh and Shabana Azmi.
(Source: Instagram)
