Airlines (Indian TV series) explained

Native Name:Har Udaan Ek Toofan
Genre:Drama
Creator:Nikhil J Alva
Niret Alva
Screenplay:Advaita Kala
Director:Supavitra Babul
Country:India
Language:Hindi
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:20
Editor:Shahid Saif
Camera:Multi-camera
Runtime:40 minutes
Company:Miditech
Network:StarPlus

Airlines - Har Udaan Ek Toofan is an Indian television series aired on StarPlus from 24 August 2014 to 1 February 2015 during Sundays.[1] [2] Produced by Miditech, it starred Tulip Joshi and VJ Yudhishtir.[3]

Plot

It follows the journey of an ambitious young woman Ananya Rawat who marks to become a top female pilot amongst this male dominant industry along with the ups and downs between her and her co pilot Akash Saluja.

Cast

Development

Production

Real life pilots were roped for tutoring the actors. The production company collaborated along with Pixion for computer graphics and visual effects.

A setup of Boeing 737 was made for shooting the sequences inside an aircraft at the Noida Film City.[6] 85 Lakhs were spent for the construction of the sets.

Originally planned for 26 episodes, it ended with 20 episodes due to low viewership. The shooting of the series was wrapped up on 1 January 2015.

Promotion

Before its premiere, an event was held at Hotel Grand in Delhi for promotion of the series.[7]

Casting

The series marks the television debut of Bollywood actress Tulip Joshi and VJ turned actor Yudhisthir in lead roles.[8] Real life journalist Donal Bisht who was working for News Express, Delhi was cast as to play a journalist onscreen, making her acting debut.[9] Due to the premature end of the series, the plans of actor Himmanshoo A. Malhotra playing dual role and the entry of Kumar Vishwas were dropped.

Filming

Set in Delhi, the series is set in the backdrop of aviation.[10] The series was extensively shot at Noida Film City. It was also shot in Terminal 3 of Indra Gandhi International Airport of Delhi.[11] Besides it was shot in Gurgaon and Manesar.

Training

Reception

Firstpost reviewed the series stating, "It’s welcome that a television serial has a working woman as the main lead. Airlines is marked by terrible acting and very poor production value. The direction is very saas-bahu (mother in law - daughter in law), with actors doing triple takes unnecessarily."[12]

News18 quoted, "The story of an ambitious girl's journey through a world of gender discrimination is a must watch."[13]

The Indian Express rated it 1/2 stating, "The two episodes we have seen so far have been very turbulent in nature. The special effects too are basic, and nothing that make the flying experience thrilling or soaring. This show — and Ananya — needs more punch if they want to crack the glass ceiling."[14]

Overall, it received criticism mainly for its Visual Effects.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Airlines set to take off on Star Plus. The Times of India.
  2. Web site: Tulip Joshi starrer TV show Airlines goes off air. The Times of India.
  3. Web site: Tulip Joshi returns to TV with Airlines - Har Udaan Ek Toofan. The Times of India.
  4. Web site: Ishaqzaade actor bags a TV show!. The Times of India.
  5. Web site: Himmanshoo Ashok Malhotra to enter Airlines. The Times of India.
  6. Web site: Aiming for the sky. The Indian Express.
  7. Web site: Taking Flight. The Hindu.
  8. Web site: Is Television The New Holiday Spot For Bollywood Beauties?. Business Insider.
  9. Web site: Airlines: A real life journalist enters. The Times of India.
  10. Web site: Off to a flying start. Deccan Chronicle.
  11. Web site: Star Plus set to change Sunday viewing with Airlines. Indian Television Dot Com.
  12. Web site: Airlines review: There's a lot of turbulence in Tulip Joshi's first TV flight. Firstpost.
  13. Web site: 'Airlines' review, episode 1: The story of an ambitious girl's journey through a world of gender discrimination is a must watch. News18.
  14. Web site: Out of the box: Mid-Air Crisis. The Indian Express.
  15. Web site: Up in the air. The Indian Express.