Filmmakers are clearly fascinated with stories set inside an aircraft. Be it Shiny Ahuja's Hijack (2008) or Sonam Kapoor Ahuja's much-acclaimed Neerja (2016), directors and filmmakers have some riveting tales to tell of strong protagonists who face odd circumstances on flights. Now, joining the bandwagon is Mohit Chadda's Flight. Directed by debutant Suraj Joshi, the film also stars Pavan Malhotra, Zakir Hussain, Viveck Vaswani and Shibani Bedi. A Crazy Boyz Entertainment production, K.Chadda’s Flight will release in theatres on April 2, 2021.

Ahead of Flight's release, PeepingMoon.com spoke to the film's lead, Mohit. For the unversed, Mohit has produced the thriller and has also been a part of the writing process. Talking to us, Mohit shed light on his preparation for the role. He spoke about releasing the film in theatres amid the COVID-19 pandemic and also about Amitabh Bachchan's shoutout to Flight on social media. 

Excerpts from the interview:

How did you prepare for the role?

I have been a part of the writing process so preparing for the role became easy. When you are one of the writers of the film and you know you are going to do that part, the preparation starts from the writing only. It becomes far easier to be on the sets as you know the character more than anybody else. You just go with the flow. You get to improvise a lot and enjoy a lot. 

The film is releasing in theatres as the cases are on a rise once again. Any fear or pressure?

Of course, there is a little bit of nervousness and anxiety but at the same time, I think it is very important for us to support cinema halls as an industry together because very few people realise that there are many lives at stake when they shut down. Being a fan of cinema, theatre and that experience, it is important for producers to also step up and support cinema chains. Ultimately, cinema halls will shut down if no film releases. Then we’ll have OTT platforms left. It will be very difficult to resonate with that film. So, we want to contribute in our own little way.    

Mr. Amitabh Bachchan gave a shoutout to Flight. Did you ever see that coming?

It was a very emotional day. We were working, dropped everything then and there and got together to celebrate. I would like to thank my wife for Mr. Bachchan’s shoutout. She knew how big a fan I am and out of the blue, she messaged him and sent him the trailer. When he tweeted, it was a dream come true. Though this is a very small phrase for something like this.  

T 3831 - An independent first effort .. Mohit Chaddha .. \film FLIGHT .. all my good wishes ..https://t.co/gEXdn0OXLl

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) March 3, 2021

After the poster released, a few people compared you to Shah Rukh Khan. How did you feel after reading the comments?

It is really humbling to read something like this but I think it is unfair to Mr. Shah Rukh Khan to be compared to a person like me. He is a living legend. I can’t be compared to him as it is a little unfair to me also. You can’t compare a newcomer to Mr. Shah Rukh Khan. I wish to be compared to his talent as well but not just on the basis of looks.  

Do you think thrillers like Flight will manage to bring back the audience to the theatre?

We are hoping for the best. We hope to keep the chain running and keep the entertainment industry running. I’m not saying that we’ll bring back the crowd like any big star film but if we manage to keep the industry running then it will be great.