MANAGEMENT LESSONS FROM MOVIES (MLM)

Subject Code: BM63069

REPORT ON THE MOVIE –

AIRLIFT

Group 7
Name Roll No
Jayadev P 20BM63036
Melvin Mathew Shaji 20BM63044
Nandagopal Gopalakrishnan 20BM63050
Vijay Karotra 20BM63099
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CONTENTS

Summary .................................................................................................................... 2
Key Takeaways: Management Lessons ....................................................................... 3
Conclusions................................................................................................................. 7
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Summary

When Iraq invades Kuwait in August 1990, a callous Indian businessman becomes the spokesperson for
more than 170,000 stranded countrymen.

It is in this scenario that Ranjit Katyala, wealthy and powerful Indian businessman, who has always seen
himself as a Kuwaiti, rather than an Indian, realizes that he no longer wields any influence on the Iraqis,
and that he and his family are in as much danger as anyone else. Ranjit unknowingly becomes the man
who all 170,000 Indians look up to for getting them out safely from Kuwait.

From there, Ranjit goes to the Indian embassy where he learns that the Kuwaiti government has fled into
exile. Some 170,000 Indians in Kuwait are now stranded as refugees. Iraqi forces continue to push
through Kuwait and Ranjit's mansion is raided by Iraqi soldiers, but his wife and child manage to escape
to his office. Ranjit convinces his friends to work together, and they set up a makeshift camp for some
500 Indians with Major Khalaf's permission. Amrita urges Ranjit to use his leverage to extricate his own
family, but Ranjit, who ordinarily would have just looked out for himself, appears to have a change of
heart. He decides to stay and help the other Indians leave Kuwait.

Ranjit travels to Baghdad to try to negotiate safe passage out of Kuwait, but to no avail. The only
remaining option, Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz, turns out to be helpful. He discloses that an Indian
merchant ship is due to arrive in Iraq with various supplies, and permits the Indian refugees to leave on
the ship. However, Ranjit later receives news of the UN embargo and that ships are barred from entering
or leaving Iraq, effectively crushing their hopes of getting out.

Airlift is the story of Indians stranded in Kuwait during this traumatic time. A story of how they, with
the help of Ranjit Katyal, managed to survive the Iraqi invasion, and against all odds traveled a thousand
kilometers across the border into Amman, Jordan. From Amman, 170,000 Indians were brought home
by the largest and the most successful evacuation ever attempted by any country, in the history of the
world. Over 59 days, the Indian government systematically flew over 488 Air India commercial flights
into a war zone to evacuate all 170,000 Indians and safely bring them back home. Airlift is the story of
the biggest ever human evacuation in the history of mankind.

KEYWORDS:

Leadership, Negotiation, Commitment, Team Work, Persuasion, Adaptability, Empathy, Risk Taker,
Appreciation, Consideration
 Key Takeaways: 3

Management Lessons

UNWAVERING EMPATHY:

Our ability to empathise with others' pain and act to alleviate it (compassion) stems from a certain level
of sensitivity to another's suffering. This characteristic, known traditionally as karuna, is essential for a
strong leader. Being ability to put oneself in another's shoes and experience his anguish helps one
comprehend what needs to be done to alleviate another's problems. When he sees more and more
individuals in the same situation as him and his family, Katyal exhibits a remarkable level of sensitivity.

The fundamental responsibility of the leader is to continue to defend his people, which includes offering
respite from pain and pain spots. Employee happiness leads to consumer happiness, and citizen happiness
leads to a happy nation. There is no way around this.

LEADER NEVER QUITS:

Regardless of the circumstances, Katyal is committed to his purpose. Despite his failures, he never gives
in to disappointment, at least not for long. He's down for a time, but he pulls himself up by his socks and
resumes his work. He devises creative ways to make his quest a success, and he retains his tenacity until
he passionately completes what he has set out to do. Such unwavering perseverance is a valuable quality
in a leader.
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WORK TOGETHER FOR A LARGER CAUSE:

It was quite easy for the protagonist to flee the perilous war-torn city with his family, abandoning others
to their fate. He elected, however, to think beyond the confines of his biological family. Most of us are
too preoccupied with our own concerns to stand out for those of others. However, by doing so, we
redefine our circle of concern and broaden the breadth of those we consider to be our own. Any deed
performed for the benefit of this greater circle is a labour of love that not only benefits others but also
enriches us.

ALWAYS PREPARE FOR THE WORST:

It is a human propensity to forget the rest and focus solely on the positive things when everything is
going well, but you should be prepared for the worse because "Time can change at any time." In the film,
Akshay Kumar played a successful businessman who was enjoying his life but was unprepared for
adversity.
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Even if the company or organisation is performing well, the management must be prepared for adversity
because competitors can do anything and the situation can change fast. Managers should always keep an
eye out for competitors' various activities or plans.

LEAD THE TEAM FROM THE FRONT:

When soldiers attacked their country, everyone was worried about preserving their lives. At that point,
like a true leader/manager, Akshay rose up and offered everyone hope that they would be able to leave
the country sooner or later. Akshay and his three pals take on the role of leaders, leading thousands of
people and attempting to save everyone (had met ship owner, visited Iran and also met higher officials
etc.)

When an organisation is in a bad phase, managers must take the initiative so that employees do not lose
faith in the company. The leader must guide the way for the team, come up with fresh ideas, and seek
out various sources to discover a solution to the problem.
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INFECTIOUS PERSISTENCE:

From his friends to the South Block bureaucrat, Katyal encourages the slowest movers to take ownership
and leads with empathy.

He is considered as going with the flow and not being afraid to take a calculated risk or two. His warning
to the local Iraqi army commander achieves the desired objective, but not without a cost. Katyal, like a
ship's captain, does not leave with those who are fortunate enough to be able to buy their way out of the
nation on a cargo ship. He stays behind to plan a way out for the others.
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Conclusions

• In the movie, what the other characters inspired by Katyal did once or twice, he is shown as doing
over and over again to script the success story

• People will always speak up, whether or not what one does is beneficial to the environment.
Rather than merely talking, be the one to take the initiative and effect change

• A negotiator must be very aware of his or her environment; a thought-leader makes an excellent
negotiator. You never know which data/fact will help you make a judgement in a certain
situation.