India reacts to Sonam Kapoor's role in Neerja, and it's not all good

If box office numbers and critics are to be believed, Sonam Kapoor has given the performance of her career in Neerja.

The movie is about slain flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life in 1986 to save over 300 passengers from terrorists who hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi.

Neerja has faced it's fair share of hurdles from the get go; first, film wasn't allowed to be screened in Pakistan, and then Neerja's colleague, Nupoor Abrol has allegedly come out to say that the movie has taken far too many liberties from what actually happened on that tragic day.

According to an Indian website, Miss Malini, Neerja's former co-workers are now claiming that "even her soul would cringe at taking this undeserved adulation."

However, not all received the movie in a negative light. Neerja's classmates lauded the movie and thanked Sonam for playing her beautifully.

They even made her a classmate!

Neerja Bhanot's family was touched with the way the biopic was made. Her brother, Akhil, stated: "People should know about her and her bravery. There couldn’t have been a better way than cinema and the whole thing has been done so beautifully that our entire family is overwhelmed. It wasn’t Sonam on the screen. All we watched throughout was Neerja! What a brilliant job she has done."

"People who were born after 1986 had forgotten about Neerja and what she did on that day...now they won't, all thanks to the film."

Talking about family, Sonam's father, Anil Kapoor did what dads do best after her performance got great reviews: he tried to keep her feet on the ground and make sure his daughter remains humble.

"No matter how much praise she gets for her performance and whatever anyone says, she still has to improve more and more," said Kapoor.

Neerja hit theatres on February 19.