Bollywood stars praise Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for bravery during mid-air attack

Bollywood stars are saluting the courage of Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who helped save 174 people on a Flydubai flight after being stabbed by his co-pilot in mid-air. After Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan has now posted a message of praise for the pilot on social media.

Shah Rukh Khan's message for the captain

Shah Rukh Khan wrote on X, "Captain Smit Machchhar, you stood strong when it mattered the most!! It's not easy to stare adversity in the face and put one's safety on the line… but you did just that to protect those onboard and showed us what being a Captain entails. A true display of courage and duty. Wishing you a speedy recovery, the country is proud of you…"

Salman Khan's note a day earlier

Shah Rukh Khan's post came a day after Salman Khan also praised the pilot. On Friday night, Salman wrote on X, "Kamaal kar diya pilot ji, hum sab aap ko salute karte hain (You've done a fantastic job, Pilot-ji; we all salute you) Will be a pleasure to fly with u.. Well done bro.. Capt #SmitMachchhar."

Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh and others join in

Many other film personalities have also spoken up. Karan Johar shared the captain's photo and wrote, "It takes another grain of courage to be fighting for your own life but in that split second, put the lives of all others before yours. And that's what captain Smit Machchhar did in the face of the toughest times. And for that, the entire country & humankind is behind you! Thank you for your selfless, courageous and brave heart, you are an inspiration for the generations to come. " Vicky Kaushal called the pilot a "braveheart", while Ranveer Singh described him as "courageous". Paresh Rawal, R Madhavan, Vijay Deverakonda and Ravi Kishan also praised him and wished him a quick recovery.

What happened on the Flydubai flight?

Captain Smit Machchhar was flying Flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 going from Dubai to Tel Aviv. There were 174 people on board, including 27 children. On September 30, while the plane was over Saudi Arabia, his co-pilot attacked and stabbed him inside the cockpit. Even though he was badly hurt, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. This let passengers and crew step in and overpower the attacker. Two other pilots who were travelling on the flight then took charge of the aircraft. It was diverted and landed safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

Captain Smit Machchhar speaks to PM Modi

Smit Machchhar was taken to hospital after the incident. He later spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed. During the call, he described how he opened the cockpit door despite his injuries, which helped others stop the attacker and kept the passengers safe from further danger.