Lesser known facts about Sonam Kapoor's next 'Neerja Bhanot'

New Delhi: The biopic on late flight attendant Neerja Bhanot has gone on floors with Sonam Kapoor stepping in the shoes of the Pan Am flight attendant, who was killed by terrorists while she was trying to save passengers on board the hijacked flight.

While everyone is busy praising Sonam Kapoor for her look that she sported for the film, very few would know about Neerja who was murdered on September 5, 1986.

Neerja, the flight attendant on the Pan Am 73, has been an  epitome of self-sacrifice.On that ill-fated night, when the Pan Am 73 landed at Karachi from Mumbai, the flight was hijacked by four heavily armed terrorists.

She was quick to alert the pilots about the hijackers. While the pilots fled the cockpit, Neerja stayed back in the flight and ensured the safety of other passengers.

Neerja battled with the terrorists for more than 17 hours and saved over 360 hostages out of 380 members on board. When the terrorists started firing, she was swift to open the emergency doors so that the passengers could escape.

On that ill-fated night, India's brave-heart along with other attendants hid the passports of American passengers from the terrorists to hide protect the identity of American citizens from the hijackers, who were believed to from the Abu Nidal Organisation.

While Neerja could have easily escaped, she decided not to and took the bullets on her when the terrorists started firing. She saved three children from being fired at.

The youngest recipient of the Ashok Chakra Award (at an age of just 23) the Government of India posthumously awarded her the highest honour. Sadly, Neerja died just 25 hours before her 24th birthday.

A square called Neerja Bhanot Chowk had been named after her in Mumbai's Ghatkopar, which was inaugurated by Amitabh Bachchan in the 1990s.

Neerja, rightly showed what call of duty truly is.