Anil Kapoor sends ‘respect’ to injured Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, says ‘what he did was nothing short of extraordinary’

Mumbai, Oct 3
Bollywood star Anil Kapoor has expressed his admiration for Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian flydubai pilot who was seriously injured during a mid-air cockpit attack.

Praising his courage and presence of mind, Anil shared a picture of Machchhar in the cockpit in a post on his social media account.

Anil recalled how his friend Jalal had spoken about knowing the pilot since their flying-school days. He wrote, “When this happened, Jalal told me he knows Smit since flying school and had always known him to be someone he’d want by his side in a difficult situation. It made me think about how much courage Smit must have had, right from the beginning, for the people around him to recognise it so early on.”

He added, “What Smit did in that moment was nothing short of extraordinary. It takes immense courage to stay strong and put others first when you’re facing something so terrifying yourself. Sending him all my respect and wishing him a speedy recovery.”

For the uninitiated, Captain Smit Machchhar was reportedly piloting flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when his co-pilot allegedly attacked him in the cockpit and attempted to interfere with the aircraft's controls.

The Boeing 737 was carrying 174 people. During the incident, the aircraft experienced a rapid descent before passengers and crew members intervened. Machchhar, despite being injured, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing others to enter and restrain the attacker. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

Captain Smit Machchhar's actions have received widespread praise from political leaders and celebrities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the pilot from his hospital bed and publicly commended his courage and presence of mind.

Many Bollywood celebrities have also expressed their admiration for the pilot, including R. Madhavan, Paresh Rawal, Vijay Deverakonda, Sonam Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty, Jackie Shroff and Kangana Ranaut.

Smit Machchhar initially received treatment at a hospital in Tabuk, where he was reported to be in stable condition. He was later shifted to Abu Dhabi for continued medical care and recovery.

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