Plot
In 1971, the Pakistan Air Force suddenly attack an Indian airbase due to the Kashmir conflict. In retaliation, the Indian Air Force captures a Pakistani pilot, Ahmed. Upon interrogating him, Wing Commander K. O. Ahuja discovers that he was awarded for killing an Indian officer in the 1965 war.
In 1965, Ahuja and his teammates including T. K. Vijaya are at the Adampur Airbase. Vijaya a.k.a. Tabby always sets his seniors for breaking protocols nonetheless is a skilled and patriotic pilot. He shares a close bond with Ahuja as he considers him as his mentor while Ahuja sees his late brother Monu in Vijaya. Ahuja's senior David Lawrence informs him that the United States has strengthened Pakistan by giving them 12 Star Striker fighter planes. On receiving confidential information about a possible attack from Pakistan, David instructs Ahuja to go on a recce along with one more officer and cross the border at his own risk. During the recce, Ahuja and Tabby discover several weapons and artillery at the Pakistan border. Despite getting noticed by Pakistani officers, Tabby clicks pictures of the weapons.
After analysing the pictures, Ahuja suggests that India should attack before Pakistan can execute their plan. Lawrence dismisses the idea as the government would not agree with India attacking first as a result of human rights. Soon after, Pakistan attacks the Indian airbase at night, knowing that India does not have any planes that can fight at night. They destroy the airbase, stationed fighter planes, and kill Indian soldiers. In retaliation, the Indian government decide upon a counterattack to destroy Pakistan's important air bases and their Star Striker planes. While strategizing, Ahuja gets to know from the Pakistani PM's speech that the Star Striker planes are placed in the central part of the country, at the Sargodha Airbase. The mission is named "Sky Force".
The mission is tough for India, due to the existing planes not having the fuel capacity which can bring them back to Adampur after attacking Sargodha. Ahuja assembles four teams for the mission but on Lawrence's order, he keeps Tabby on standby and not as part of the four core teams. The mission gets accomplished and all the officers return to their bases. On returning, Ahuja learns that Tabby took off a few minutes after his designated time and has gone missing. The Indian government turns a blind eye to finding Tabby, labelling him as rebellious for not following orders. In the meantime, Tabby's wife Geeta urges Ahuja to find him as he had earlier promised her that he will take care of Tabby as his younger brother. Despite his best efforts, he does not receive any support from the government, who try to label his disappearance as his own fault.
In the present in 1971, after several years, Ahuja is guilt-stricken for failing to keep his promise to Geeta and losing another brother in a war. While all the soldiers involved in the mission received Vir Chakra, the authorities leave out Tabby despite his contributions to the mission. Heartbroken, Ahuja removes his Vir Chakra and places it on Tabby's portrait. After interrogating Ahmed, he becomes closer to locating Tabby, but receives no support from the government to facilitate the investigation.
20 years later, a retired Group captain Ahuja, receives a parcel from Ahmed, which contains a book regarding the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965. With more evidence, he successfully reopens the case and even becomes part of the investigating team. They travel across the world to inquire with several people and finally meet Ahmed in Pakistan, who tells them the true story. He recalls having the best fight of his life with an unknown Indian soldier, who dodged US technology and saved himself twice from the missiles. He reveals that the unknown pilot was Tabby, whom he presumed to be dead since the first missile launch. However, with his skills and bravery, shot down Ahmed's aircraft by sacrificing himself and died in Pakistani territory. After being presented with proof of his bravery, Tabby is awarded the Maha Vir Chakra and becomes the only Indian soldier to be posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
Reception
Critical response
Ganesh Aaglave of the Firstpost rated the film 4/5 stars and opined "Sky Force will leave you with goosebumps, a lump in your throat, and maybe even a few tears in your eyes. Right from the action sequences to emotional moments, every frame strikes a chord with the audience. The film brings to life a tale of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering patriotism." [37] Sarika Sharma of Moneycontrol rated the film 4/5 stars and noted "Akshay Kumar and debutant Veer Pahariya pass with flying colours in this patriotic film which has released well on time ahead of Republic Day. It is a must watch this weekend." [38] Dhaval Roy of The Times of India rated the film 3.5/5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Sky Force stands out for its balanced portrayal of patriotism, avoiding overt sensationalism or antagonism. The film is a fitting tribute, making it a must-watch for those who are drawn to war dramas that blend action with heartfelt storytelling. A few bumps in the narrative aside, it's a cinematic flight worth boarding." [39]
Anuj Kumar of The Hindu reviewed the film and highlighted "Skewed storytelling prevents this fictionalised retelling of the feat of a war hero from hitting the horizon". [40] Risabh Suri of the Hindustan Times reviewed the film and noted "Akshay Kumar's measured act balances vulnerability and toughness, elevating this emotional war film. Overall, Sky Force is a well-made film that leaves you pondering what makes our soldiers so selfless." [41] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in reviewed the film and highlighted "Unfortunately, what should have been jettisoned, like fuel during an emergency, is what constitutes the bulk of the plot. By flying into different directions at the same time, Sky Force does itself a disservice." [42]
Sky Force received 3 out of 5 stars from Vineeta Kumar of India Today . Kumar praised the film's restrained approach to jingoism, instead focusing on the story of an unsung war hero. [43] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "It isn't as punishingly long as such action films usually are. The heightened rendition of true events works only intermittently. It loses its way in a surfeit of computer-generated air combat sequences." He also mentioned although Sky Force is patchy, the acting is adequate. [44] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and opined "Sky Force, coasting on the same elements as Fighter, except this one is a thinly-disguised account of a real life incident during the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict." She praised the minimal use of jingoism, the background score and Pahariya's debut. [45] [46]
Box office
Pinkvilla reported that after a strong opening weekend (due to heavily discounted ticket rates), the film's collections witnessed a major drop on Monday. [47] The film concluded its run with worldwide gross estimated to be ₹144– 168.60 crore. [4] [5]
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