Neerja Bhanot: The Air Hostess Who Died Saving Others

She was the last person to quit. She gave up her life so that others could live. That’s how India remembers Neerja Bhanot, the 22-year-old air hostess, who saved lives of around 360 passengers before being gunned down by terrorists just 25 hours before her 23rd birthday. As you get ready to queue up to watch the biopic on the Pan Am air hostess releasing this Friday, you must know a few things about this “girl with sinews of steel”.

Neerja Bhanot: The “No Nonsense” Girl Who Accepted Challenges

The Chandigarh girl was the daughter of Harish Bhanot, a Mumbai-based journalist. When her arranged marriage turned sour after the pressure for dowry, she left her husband in the Gulf and returned to her parents in Mumbai. She had told her father, “I will do you proud”. The appetite for rising above the rest was evident in Neerja. She applied for a flight attendant job with Pan Am and got selected. While she was sent to Miami for training as a flight attendant, she returned as purser.

During the last few years of her life, she got interested in modelling. It was nothing less than impressive to see a young woman straddling two demanding roles — air hostess and model. She had accepted the challenge to prove “what she was”.

World Recognises Neerja’s Bravery

You may have crossed Neerja Bhanot Chowk in Ghatkopar (East) if you have been to Mumbai, but that’s not the only tribute the country has paid to this brave lady. She was the youngest recipient of Ashoka Chakra Award — India’s highest gallantry award for bravery. Almost two decades after her death, the Indian Postal Service released a stamp as a tribute to her resilience. The Pakistani government posthumously awarded the Tamgha-e-Insaniyat award to Neerja for showing “incredible kindness”. The US government also recognised her altruism and gave the ‘Justice for Crimes Award’ posthumously.

However, the biggest recognition the young lady received was from her father during her cremation. He bade farewell to her daughter at the crematorium by saying, “Goodbye darling, please keep coming”.