This is the Real Neerja Bhanot's Voice. It Will Break Your Heart

New Delhi: Of all the promo material that has been released for this Friday's film Neerja, this is surely the most evocative. Neerja Bhanot, the 23-year-old flight attendant who was killed in the 1986 hijacking of a Pan Am flight, is played by actress Sonam Kapoor in the Ram Madhvani-made film. A recording of an in-flight announcement made by the real Neerja Bhanot has now been released on YouTube by the makers of the movie.

Sonam, who tweeted the video, described it as the 'voice of courage.'
 
 It is not clear if the recording is from the fateful flight. Neerja Bhanot died a heroine after helping save 359 lives on board Pan Am Flight 73 which was hijacked at Karachi. Ms Bhanot is crediting with hiding the passports of American passengers on the plane, preventing the hijackers from identifying and picking them off. Eventually, she helped evacuate everyone on board but was shot while leading a group of children to safety.

Neerja Bhanot was the first civilian and the youngest person to receive the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award. (Also Read: Aamir Khan 'Loved' Neerja, Says Sonam Kapoor is 'Outstanding')

Neerja, co-produced by photographer Atul Kasbekar, co-stars Shabana Azmi as the slain stewardess' mother Rama Bhanot. Composer Shekhar Ravjiani makes his acting debut in a small but pivotal role.