Sonam Kapoor was under stress during 'Neerja' shoot

New Delhi: After basking in the success of her last blockbuster hit 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' Bollywood fashion queen Sonam Kapoor is busy with her next important project 'Neerja'. 

The film is a biopic, based on the life of senior flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, who saved 360 lives on a Pan Am flight that was hijacked in Karachi in 1986. Directed by Ram Madhvani, the film will see Sonam essay the lead character of Neerja and bring her story alive for the audience.

Bhanot became the youngest and first woman recipient of the prestigious Ashok Chakra Award, posthumously. "It was not emotionally draining. It is important that this story is told. It is about this girl, the youngest civilian who got Ashoka Chakra. She was a normal girl...She did bit of modelling. She had the courage to save the world," Sonam told PTI.

The "Khoobsurat" actress said she was stressed throughout the shooting in anticipation that whether she is doing justice with her role. "I hope I have done justice to it. I was stressed throughout the film hoping I have done best job possible. I feel the reason why this film was made is to recognise everyone that it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from.

"You have to be ordinary to do extra ordinary things and everybody has that in them. You need to have courage to do things."

The 30-year-old actress revealed that there are quite a few similarities between her and Neerja. "My values with family, relationships, sensitivity, strong sense of ethics...I think the sense of right and wrong, young people need to see these values and have courage to do right things. This ordinary girl did extraordinary," she said.

With her last release "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" being a superhit, Sonam says the Rajshri Production film has given her a wider reach as an actor. "'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' has given me wider reach as it has gone into the heartland of India and people are loving the film. For me it is important as my next film ('Neerja'). It is not about me, director and producer but about Neerja," she said. 

(With PTI inputs)