Sky Force (Hindi)

Sky Force is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language action drama film centred around India’s first airstrike, the Sargodha airbase attack of Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani air war of 1965. The film stars Akshay Kumar and newcomer Veer Pahariya in lead roles, alongside Sara Ali Khan and Nimrat Kaur. It is directed by Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani, and produced by Maddock Films and Jio Studios.

Officially announced in October 2023, Sky Force began filming in May 2023 in Mumbai.The principal photography wrapped up in late-April 2024, spanning 100 days, with shooting held in parts of India and the UK.

Sky Force was theatrically released on 24 January 2025, coinciding with the Republic Day weekend.

In 1971, the Pakistan Air Force suddenly attack an Indian airbase over the Kashmir conflict. In retaliation, the Indian Air Force captures a Pakistani pilot, Ahmed. Upon interrogating him, Wing Commander K. O. Ahuja discovers that he was awarded for killing an Indian officer in the 1965 war.

In 1965, Ahuja and his teammates including T. K. Vijaya are at the Adampur Airbase. Vijaya a.k.a. Tabby always sets his seniors for breaking protocols nonetheless is a skilled and patriotic pilot. He shares a close bond with Ahuja as he considers him as his mentor while Ahuja sees his late brother Monu in Vijaya. Ahuja’s senior David Lawrence informs him that the USA has strengthened Pakistan by giving them 12 Star Striker Fighter Planes. On receiving confidential information about a possible attack from Pakistan, David instructs Ahuja to go on a recce along with one more officer and cross the border at his own risk. During the recce, Ahuja and Tabby discover several weapons and artillery at the Pakistan border. Despite getting noticed by Pakistani officers, Tabby clicks pictures of the weapons.

After analysing the pictures, Ahuja suggests that India should attack before Pakistan can execute their plan. Lawrence dismisses the idea as the government would not agree with India attacking first as a result of human rights. Soon after, Pakistan attacks the Indian airbase at night, knowing that India does not have any planes that can fight at night. They destroy the airbase, stationed fighter planes, and kill Indian soldiers. In retaliation, the Indian government decide upon a counter attack to destroy Pakistan’s important air bases and their Star Striker planes. While strategizing, Ahuja gets to know from the Pakistani PM‘s speech that the Star Striker planes are placed in the central part of the country, at the Sargodha Airbase. The mission is named “Sky Force”.

The mission is tough for India, due to the existing planes not having the fuel capacity which can bring them back to Adampur after attacking Sargodha. Ahuja assembles four teams for the mission but on Lawrence’s order, he keeps Tabby on standby and not apart of the four core teams. The mission gets accomplished and all the officers return back to their bases. On returning, Ahuja learns that Tabby took off a few minutes after his designated time and has gone missing. The Indian government turns a blind eye to finding Tabby, labelling him as rebellious for not following orders. In the meantime, Tabby’s wife Geeta urges Ahuja to find him as he had earlier promised her that he will take care of Tabby as his younger brother. Despite his best efforts, he does not receive any support from the government, who try to label his disappearance as his own fault.

In the present in 1971, after several years, Ahuja is guilt-stricken for failing to keep his promise to Geeta and losing another brother in a war. While all the soldiers involved in the mission received Vir Chakra, the authorities leave out Tabby despite his contributions to the mission. Heartbroken, Ahuja removes his Vir Chakra and places it on Tabby’s portrait. After interrogating Ahmed, he becomes closer to locating Tabby, but receives no support from the government to facilitate the investigation.

20 years later, a retired Group captain Ahuja, receives a parcel from Ahmed, which contains a book regarding the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965. With more evidences, he successfully reopens the case and even becomes part of the investigating team. They travel across the world to inquire with several people and finally meet Ahmed in Pakistan, who tells them the true story. He recalls having the best fight of his life with an unknown Indian soldier, who dodged US technology and saved himself twice from the missiles. He reveals that the unknown pilot was Tabby, whom he presumed to be dead since the first missile launch. However with his skills and bravery, shot down Ahmed’s aircraft by sacrificing himself and died in Pakistan territory. After being presented with proof of his bravery, Tabby is awarded the Maha Vir Chakra and becomes the only Indian soldier to be posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.