Neerja Bhanot Biography - Birth date, Achievements, Career, Family, Awards

Neerja Bhanot was born on 07 September 1963 in Chandigarh. Neerja's parents used to fondly call her Lado. His father's name was Harish Bhanot and mother's name was Rama Bhanot. Neerja Bhanot's father used to curtail journalists and his mother was a duodenum at home. He had two brothers named Akhil and Aneesh Bhanot.

Neerja Bhanot died on 5 September 1986 (age 22 years) in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. When she was ready to fly her plane from Pakistan's Karachi airport, four armed men hijacked her plane. The aircraft carried 380 passengers and 13 crew members. Some of which saved them and they were saved till the end, but after 17 hours, the terrorists exploded in the plane, and the aircraft was destroyed and all the people in the plane died.

He did his early schooling at Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh. When the family moved to Bombay, he continued his studies at Bombay Scottish School and then graduated from St. Xavier's College, Bombay. It was in Bombay, where she was first spotted for a modeling assignment that began her modeling career. She was a huge fan of actor Rajesh Khanna and referred to excerpts from her films throughout her life.

Neerja got married in the year 1985 and moved to the country standing with her husband, but their marriage could not last long and after two months of marriage, she came to Daubra Delhi and then she applied for the job of air hostess in Pan Am and got selected. Returned to Miami after training. She also had a successful modeling career together during her work at Pan Am.

Pan Am-73 from Mumbai to New York was hijacked by four terrorists in Karachi and took all the passengers hostage. Neerja was appointed as senior purcer in the aircraft and on her immediate notice, three crew members managed to get out of the cockpit of the aircraft immediately. As the most senior aircraft carrier left behind, the responsibility of the passengers was on Neerja and after 18 hours when the terrorists started killing the passengers and started putting explosives in the plane, Neerja managed to open the emergency door of the aircraft and the passengers Provided a safe exit route. If she wanted to, she could have jumped before herself by opening the door, but by not doing so, she tried to leave the passengers first. In the same effort, Neerja died due to the bombardment of the bullets while firing three children while Neerja was trying to shoot at the children. This heroic self-immolation of Neerja earned her international fame as the Heroine of Hijack.

Neerja was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra by the Government of India for this wonderful valor and courage, India's highest peacetime gallantry award. Neerja Bhanot was 23 years old at the time of her heroism. She thus became the first woman and the youngest citizen to receive this medal. He was awarded the Tamga-e-Insanity by the Government of Pakistan. Internationally, Neerja's name is known as Heroine of Hijack. The Government of India also released a postage stamp in his honor in the year 2004 and the US has awarded him Justice for Crime Award in the year 2005. Pakistan honored Neerja with the "Tamga-e-Insaniyat Award" for exceptional service to humanity, while Neerja was awarded the "Justice for Crime Award" by the US Attorney's Office in Columbia. An institution has also been established in his memory Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust which commemorates his valor and rewards women for indomitable courage and valor. A film was also made in 2016, based on Neerja's story, in which her character was played by Sonam Kapoor.