Filmmaker Rippin Sindher tells the story of her uncle lost to tragedy in her dramatic short film, Flight 182. Jeet (Gurinder Sindher) learns that his mother in Delhi has suffered a severe stroke and makes the difficult choice to be with her one last time, amidst the uneasy tension of the first anniversary of Operation Blue Star. In the news, separatist groups are issuing warnings of retaliation against the Indian government. His wife, Mandeep (Sundeep Morrison), pleads with him to stay, but Jeet cannot ignore his duty as a son and dismisses her fears as superstition.
Once Jeet’s plane departs from Pearson Airport in Toronto and without warning, the aircraft vanishes from radar. Flight 182 would be one of the deadliest acts of terrorism before 9/11, devastating the families waiting at home.
“…the aircraft vanishes from radar.”
Writer-director Rippin Sindher drew inspiration from her uncle, Daljit Singh Grewal, who was one of the 329 people killed in the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing. Sindher says the film was both an act of remembrance and a response to decades of erasure of that event. She aimed to honor the victims and acknowledge the families left behind. The film hits themes of love, duty, family, grief, and the far-reaching human cost of political violence. It shows how a single act of terrorism can fracture lives, alter families, and ripple through generations.
Sindher captures the moments before Jeet leaves for the airport, including the tension between the duty-bound husband and his wife, who just knew this wasn’t a good idea. We see that deep down, Jeet knew it was a risk.
Flight 182 ends on the heavy weight of choices made in faith, fear, and love, ensuring that its story is not lost to history.
"…A single act of terrorism can fracture lives."
