Neerja Bhanot
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Neerja Bhanot AC |
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| Born |
7 September 1963 Chandigarh, Punjab, India |
| Died | 5 September 1986 (aged 22) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Purser, Model |
| Known for | Pan Am Flight 73 |
| Parent(s) | Rama Bhanot Harish Bhanot |
| Awards | Full List |
Neerja Bhanot, AC, (Punjabi: ਨੀਰਜਾ ਭਨੋਟ; Hindi: नीरजा भनोट; 7 September 1963 – 5 September 1986), was a purser for the airline Pan American World Airways, based in Mumbai, India. She was shot and killed while saving hundreds of passengers on board Pan Am Flight 73, which was hijacked by terrorists on 5 September 1986. Posthumously, she became the youngest recipient of India's highest peacetime award for bravery, the Ashok Chakra Award. Her life and heroism inspired a biopic in the form of Ram Madhvani's Neerja (2016). She saved 359 people among 379 and was shot while helping passengers escape from the emergency exits.
Bhanot was born in Chandigarh, India, and brought up in Mumbai in a Punjabi family. She was the daughter of Harish Bhanot, a Mumbai-based journalist, and Rama Bhanot. She had two brothers: Akhil and Aneesh Bhanot. She received her early schooling at Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh. When the family moved to Bombay (later renamed to Mumbai), she continued her studies at Bombay Scottish School and then graduated from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. It was in Mumbai where she was first spotted for a modelling assignment which began her modelling career. She was a huge fan of actor Rajesh Khanna and used to refer to quotes from his films throughout her life.
Bhanot applied for a flight attendant job with Pan Am, when in 1985 it decided to have an all Indian cabin crew for its Frankfurt to India routes. Upon selection, she went to Miami, Florida for training as a flight attendant, but returned as a purser. She also had a successful modelling career simultaneously during her work at Pan Am.
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