Sreeleela, Vijay Deverakonda and Other Stars Salute Pilot Smit Machchhar

Telugu stars Sreeleela and Vijay Deverakonda have joined a growing list of film celebrities praising Captain Smit Machchhar. The Indian pilot is credited with protecting 174 passengers after his co-pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073. The plane was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30.

Sreeleela shared her reaction in an Instagram story on Friday, October 2. She said that as someone who travels all the time, news like this made her stop and think. She added that her heart was with everyone on board and their families. She offered the captain her "deepest respect" for his courage and wished him a speedy recovery.

Vijay Deverakonda reshared Prime Minister Narendra Modi's post about the pilot and asked God to protect and bless him. "What you faced and what you did is incredible," the actor wrote, and he praised everyone else on the flight too. Rishab Shetty also reportedly saluted the captain for putting other people's lives before his own, even after he was badly hurt.

Bollywood joined in as well. R Madhavan called him a true hero and prayed for his recovery, while Ravi Kishan praised his loyalty to duty and his courage. Arjun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Jackie Shroff and Shilpa Shetty also paid tribute. Kangana Ranaut responded to the Prime Minister's video call with the pilot, where he said he recited the Hanuman Chalisa during the ordeal. Paresh Rawal made a joke on the pilot's surname, using Nana Patekar's famous line from Krantiveer.

Reports say the captain was seriously injured but still managed to open the cockpit door, so passengers and crew could get in and overpower the attacker. The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where he first received treatment. He has since been moved to Abu Dhabi, and his condition is said to be stable. The incident is under investigation.

Prime Minister Modi spoke to the pilot on a video call and called him a hero. In Mumbai, the Consulate General of Israel put up giant billboards across the city thanking Captain Smit and wishing him a speedy recovery.