‘Crew’ flies high with the delightful chemistry of its cast

On a personal level, I don't always need the films I watch to be about social change, injustices, or feminism. Occasionally, like any other person, I also require a film about three best friends dressed to 2024 fashion perfection, flirting with Diljit Dosanjh, working for an airline, and smuggling gold disguised as chocolate across international borders. 

Being a Bollywood buff, I knew from the trailers and promotions that "Crew", starring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Kriti Sanon in the lead roles, would be a joyride, and it didn't disappoint. 

Written by Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri and directed by Rajesh A Krishnan, the film tells the story of three air stewardesses flying short international routes on Kohinoor Airlines. Much like how the Kohinoor has become a symbol of Indian riches sent abroad illegally, some employees of this airline are using their access to smuggle gold bars to a city called Al Burj, modelled on Dubai. When the initial mule dies, the three women, who all have their own ongoing financial struggles, decide to take on the role instead, and as it happens with any 'get rich quick' scheme, things don't quite work out. 

"Crew" serves as a great example of how a light-hearted comedy can successfully blend entertainment with relevance by maintaining an air of levity while addressing timely topics. The film begins with a fourth-wall-breaking voiceover, as the characters introduce themselves and provide expository backstory. This approach, with the use of unimaginative flashbacks and cutaways, is not the most innovative. In certain scenes, the narrative adopts a sitcom-esque tone, with convenient plot developments and coincidences aiding the characters in achieving their objectives. This might cause some viewers to question the plausibility of events, but it is easy to overlook as the overall tone of the film is not meant to be taken too seriously.

The strength of "Crew" lies in the camaraderie the trio shares. Tabu and Kareena together are formidable. Kriti, too, comes alive in a way I haven't seen her do since "Mimi" (2021). Tabu plays Geeta Sethi, the group's mother bear, who shields her younger team members. She offers herself up as bait when high-risk entrapment is required and is at a point in her life where judgment does not bother her, both from bosses and unruly business class passengers. To keep up the morale of her unpaid colleagues, Geeta tells them about the time airline crews weren't paid after the 9/11 attacks for months but eventually, things got sorted out. On the other hand, she gives raunchy sex advice to a work friend when they are off the clock. Tabu, as we can expect, fits into this role smoothly. It is deeply satisfying to watch her effortlessly transition between her poised persona at work and the seductive banter she shares at home with her husband, played ever so sweetly by Kapil Sharma, who doesn't get enough credit for his acting abilities. Throughout the film, you can try to figure Geeta out, but she refuses to be put in a box, continuing to be surprising and unusual up until the climax. 

Kareena's Jasmine Kohli, too, is never a type. Aware that an honest life will never really get her where she wants to be, Jasmine has tried every trick in the book, from stealing watches to cash from wallets. But we are not supposed to feel sorry for her. She comes into a planning meeting and asks, "What is this panchayat (village council)?", she takes a giant, comical bite out of a chocolate cupcake in the face of someone who is really worried about their provident fund, she doesn't shy away from calling friends and foes out to their faces, and she has no time for anyone's sob stories, least of all, her own. She is the girl who wants to do only what no one will let her, while setting fashion goals. Essentially a more evolved version of both pre-interval Geet from "Jab We Met" (2007) and post-interval Poo from "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…" (2001), the character is tailor-made for Kareena. 

Kriti plays Divya Rana, the 'little lamb' of the group. But she is, of course, much more than that. She belongs to the generation that worked hard at school and was told that a degree would instantly make them achieve all their dreams. But when they stepped into the workforce, not one person cared about how good they were at inter-college sports or academics. Divya has been taught that an honest day's work is the only solution, and hence, her hope for a brighter future remains steadfast. She doesn't quite have the street smarts of Jasmine, who grew up only with a grandparent, nor does she have the wisdom of Geeta, who has seen many a tide turn. But as a part of the sisterhood, Divya doesn't shy away from using what she has been told are her weaknesses to her advantage. The way these women are written is the backbone of the film, and the writers' hard work is accentuated by the very able performances. 

"Crew" is all about reclaiming things that women have been told are not 'womanly'. Ila Arun's music, for example, was unwelcome in many households because apparently, ghagra was too blasphemous a garment to sing about. But her songs are a powerful celebration of female agency. The soundtrack of "Crew" features two of her classics, with a fresh and modern makeover to keep the message relevant for a new generation. 

When the billionaire airline chairman Vijay Walia (Saswata Chatterjee), unapologetically inspired from Vijay Mallya, defaults on staff salaries and runs away to another country, a lesser film would have turned into a social justice story with the comedy giving way to melodrama. "Crew", instead, turns into a heist film. It becomes funnier and haphazard in a really amusing way. 

Geeta, Jasmine, and Divya are not here to lead us into battle or revolt against the patriarchy. They don't want us to emulate them, they don't want to be our heroes, they don't even want us to like them. They are audacious, morally ambiguous women who want to eat the rich, and honestly, I need more of those on my screen.