Celebs hail pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for saving 174 people

R Madhavan, Vijay Deverakonda, Ravi Kishan and Paresh Rawal hail pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for saving 174 people on a flydubai flight

Several film personalities, including R Madhavan, Shilpa Shetty, Vijay Deverakonda, Ravi Kishan and Paresh Rawal, have applauded Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery. He allegedly stopped his co-pilot from crashing a Flydubai flight that carried 174 passengers, 27 of them children.

R Madhavan and Vijay Deverakonda lead the tributes

R Madhavan shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the incident and wished the captain a speedy recovery. He called him "a true hero."

Vijay praised the pilot's calm in a life-threatening situation. "May God protect you and bless you, Captain. What you faced and what you did is incredible. Along with everyone else on that flight," he wrote.

Ravi Kishan, Paresh Rawal and others reactActor-politician Ravi Kishan spoke of the captain's dedication and strength.

"Captain Smit Machchhar is the epitome of unwavering loyalty to duty, indomitable courage, and extraordinary wisdom (sic)," he wrote, adding that the pilot's actions are a matter of great national pride.

Paresh Rawal played on the pilot's surname, recalling a well-known dialogue by Nana Patekar from the 1994 film 'Krantiveer'. "Remembering NANA PATEKAR'S FAMOUS DIALOGUE: Ek Machhhar Aadmiko...!" he posted.

Shilpa Shetty also extended her support to those affected. "Heart goes out to everyone affected. And immense respect for Captain Smit Machchhar for bringing over 170 lives to safety," she wrote.

Jackie Shroff paid tribute to the captain and everyone who helped avoid the disaster. “Some heroes work in silence! All my respects to Captain Smit Machchhar and the other brave heroes for saving lives and averting a massive tragedy," he said.

PM Narendra Modi's messageAlong with Narendra Modi, actors Sonam Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut also took to social media to appreciate the pilot. The Prime Minister tweeted, “Captain Smit Machchhar has shown the world the highest form of courage. Without fearing for his own life, he fought valiantly and prevented another 9/11-like attack from happening. 140 crore Indians salute Captain Smit and are praying for his well-being."

What happened on the flightThe flydubai flight was headed from Dubai to Tel Aviv but was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot attacked Captain Machchhar in the cockpit and stabbed him.Though badly injured and bleeding on the cockpit floor, the Mumbai-born pilot reportedly managed to trigger the emergency release and open the cockpit door. This let cabin crew and passengers rush in and overpower the attacker. Two off-duty flydubai pilots travelling as passengers then landed the aircraft safely.Captain Machchhar is now being treated at a hospital in Tabuk, where doctors continue to monitor his condition.