‘Airlift’ is Accurate, Govt was Slow: Real Hero’s Son to The Quint

Delhi’s response to the 1990 Kuwait evacuation was sluggish, says Sunny Mathew’s son, James Mathews.

(Left, third) Sunny Mathews at a press meet organised by the Kuwait Indians’ Evacuation Committee in 1990. (Photo Courtesy: James Mathews)

Akshay Kumar’s film Airlift, directed by Raja Krishna Menon is based on the biggest evacuation of Indians based in Kuwait during the Gulf War. The movie is inspired by Mathunny Mathews, a Malayali businessman who coordinated the evacuation.

But the Ministry of External Affairs termed the movie as “great entertainment, but rather short on facts”.

This is a film and films often take liberties with actual events, facts. This particular film has also taken artistic liberties in the depiction of the events as it actually happened in Kuwait in 1990.

<b>Vikas Swarup, MEA Spokesperson</b>

The Quint spoke to Sunny Mathews’ son James Mathews who was also in Kuwait at that time. He disagrees with the government’s response.

The government of India had a laid back attitude towards Indians stranded in Kuwait. My father, Mr Vedi and others had to convince them that the situation was big. Only after that did the government respond. Yes, without their efforts, the evacuation wouldn’t have been possible.