Principal photography took place from March 2023 to February 2024. The film was theatrically released on 29 March 2024, and has grossed over ₹87 crore (US$11 million) worldwide to rank as the fifth highest grossing Hindi film of 2024.[4]
Plot
Geeta Sethi, Jasmine Kohli, and Divya Rana are flight attendants with Kohinoor Airlines, a company on the verge of bankruptcy. The staff have not being paid their salaries in months, and the three friends, as all the other employees of the airline, slog on, hoping that things would change for better. Geeta lives with her husband, Arun, who runs a food business from home. She also has to provide financial assistance to her younger brother, who is unemployed, and his wife. Jasmine, after the divorce of her parents, was raised by her maternal grandfather, Nanu, and does not believe in relationships. She, instead, believes in living life to the fullest on her own, has a fondness for expensive things, and flaunts a flashy but fake lifestyle on social media.
Divya had trained to become a pilot; however, lack of job openings had forced her to take up the job of a flight attendant, a fact she tries to hide from her family by dressing up as a pilot while going out for work, changing into the uniform of a flight attendant at the airport. She has the instalments of her education loan to repay. Uncertainty and financial insecurity loom large, till the death of an airline employee, Rajvanshi, while on duty, with gold ingots strapped to his body, leads the three friends into smuggling gold outside India to a country called Al Burj.
The kingpin of the operation is Mr. Mittal, the HR Head of Kohinoor Airlines. The financial situation of the three flight attendants improves: Geeta is able to fund Arun’s food business as well as her brother and his wife, Jasmine is able to take back Nanu’s gold ring that had been pawned at a jeweller’s shop and also buy a BMW car for herself, and Divya repays all instalments of her education loan. Things look good, but only for Geeta, Jasmine, and Divya.
The other employees of the airline are still trying to make ends meet, finding it hard even to pay the school fees of their children. Someone tips the customs officials that the three flight attendants are smuggling gold; and even though the three of them are able to hide their stash, the detention that follows, and their relative prosperity when the other employees of the airline have not been paid their salaries, humiliates them and they begin wondering if they have chosen the right path.
Situation takes a drastic turn when Kohinoor Airlines is declared bankrupt, its employees are left unpaid and penniless, and the owner of the airline, Vijay Walia, flees to Al Burj. That is when Geeta, Jasmine, and Divya realise that it was actually Vijay Walia’s gold that Rajvanshi and Mittal were smuggling to enable Walia to settle down comfortably in Al Burj after turning into a fugitive. Chastened and repentant, Geeta, Jasmine, and Divya decide to bring all the smuggled gold back to India and pay the employees of Kohinoor Airlines their due.
The film was announced in November 2022 and filming began on 25 March 2023, before it was wrapped in February 2024.[5][6] The film was shot in Mumbai, Goa and Abu Dhabi.[7]
The music of the film is composed by Diljit Dosanjh, Badshah, Raj Ranjodh, Vishal Mishra, Akshay–IP, Bharg–Rohit while the background score is composed by John Stewart Eduri.
The first single titled "Naina" was released on 5 March 2024.[8] The second single, a remake version of Rajasthani track "Delhi Shahar Mein Maro Ghagro Jo Ghumyo" by Ila Arun,[9][10] titled "Ghagra" was released on 12 March 2024.[11] A remake of the song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" from the 1993 film Khal Nayak is sung by Alka Yagnik and Arun, composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal and written by Anand Bakshi. The third single titled "Choli Ke Peeche" was released on 20 March 2024.[12][13] The fourth single titled "Mere Sang" was released on 29 March 2024. The song "Sona Kitna Sona Hai" is a remake of the same name song from the 1997 film Hero No. 1 sung by Udit Narayan and Poornima, composed by Anand–Milind and written by Sameer Anjaan.[14]
Initially planned for a 22 March 2024 release, the film was theatrically released on 29 March 2024 coinciding with Good Friday.[15]
Reception
Critical response
Crew opened to positive reviews from the critics.[16] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10.[17]
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express praised the lead actresses, writing, "Tabu, so comfortable in her older woman avatar as the senior-most of the crew, and Khan, treading the thin line between greed and need with ease, are a riot; Sanon, in their company, is boosted and manages to hold her own." Gupta gave the movie 3.5 stars out of 5 and described it as an "easy-breezy" comedy that washes away the stench of recent Bollywood duds.[18] Devesh Sharma of Filmfare gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Tabu, Kareena Kapoor, and Kriti Sanon starrer Crew totally smashes through stereotypes. It's an honest-to-goodness rollercoaster ride".[19] Titas Chowdhury of CNN-IBN gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and particularly praised Kapoor Khan's performance, adding that she elevates the narrative several notches with a character that is tailor-made for her.[20] Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "In times when political dramas are trying to make a statement abound, Crew is a welcome change. It’s light, easy-breezy and stays true to being a masala entertainer."[21] The critic based at Bollywood Hungama awarded the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Crew is a fun entertainer and rests on the fine performances of Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon."[22] Renuka Vyavahare of Times of India gave it 3.5 stars (out of 5), describing it as a crime comedy that is funny, frivolous, and delectable.[23] Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost gave it a rating of 3 out of 5, calling it a "delectable" and "entertaining" film; she particularly praised Kapoor Khan's performance, adding that she stands out and displays the wickedness of her character with a lot of style.[24] In a more critical review, Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film 2 stars out of 5 and noted that the film's screenplay lacks sheen.[25]
Anuj Kumar of The Hindu deemed it a feel-good film and particularly praised Kapoor Khan's performance, adding that she is the tour de force of the film.[26] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times wrote, "Crew makes you laugh, and have fun while serving some cheesy and cocky humour, and manages to stay afloat despite a lot of turbulence, all thanks to the threesome that you wish lasted a little longer."[27] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll gave the film a positive review, calling it funny, sexy, and honest—all without being overly mushy or judgemental.[28]
Box office
As of 4 April 2024, Crew has grossed ₹56.6 crore (US$7.1 million) in India, with a further ₹30.68 crore (US$3.8 million) in overseas, for a worldwide total of ₹87.28 crore (US$11 million).[3]
On its opening day, Crew earned ₹10.28 crore (US$1.3 million) at the domestic box office,[3] marking the third biggest opening day collection for a female-led film.[29] Furthermore, the film opened with a global box office gross of ₹20.07 crore (US$2.5 million), making it the highest opening day grosser for a Hindi female-led film globally.[30]
