‘Whenever I am in pain, I recite Hanuman Chalisa’: Captain Smit Machchhar speaks to Narendra Modi, considers PM as his idol

PM Modi spoke with Captain Smit Machchhar (Image via X)

On Friday, 2nd October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke over a video call with Captain Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot who sustained serious injuries while successfully averting a massive mid-air disaster on a Flydubai flight. Machchhar is currently recovering in a hospital in the UAE. The incident took place on Flydubai flight FZ1073 on 30th September.

The incident unfolded on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying Israeli passengers, when an extreme security threat emerged inside the cockpit. His co-pilot suddenly launched a violent knife attack against him and tried to seize control of the aircraft with the clear intention of crashing it. Despite being critically wounded and bleeding heavily, Captain Machchhar displayed extraordinary courage and presence of mind. Refusing to let the situation spiral into a complete catastrophe, he triggered an emergency alert and made the life-saving decision to unlock and open the cockpit door, enabling passengers to rush in and overpower the attacker.

‘You are my biggest idol’: Machchhar gets emotional while speaking to PM Modi

During his conversation with PM Modi, Machchhar opened up about what went through his mind during those terrifying moments. He explained that although he was fighting for his own life, he knew that he could not give up because hundreds of passengers were depending on him.

“I was fighting for my life. I realised at that time that if I won’t show courage, then 170 passengers will lose their lives,” Machchhar told the Prime Minister.

The pilot became emotional while speaking to Modi and described the conversation as a special moment for him. He said he had never imagined that he would get an opportunity to speak directly to the Prime Minister.

Machchhar then told Modi, “You are my biggest idol. I feel proud of the way you are encouraging me today.” Recalling the moment when he was badly injured, he said he had to push himself to act despite the pain and make one final effort to reach the cockpit door.

He also told Modi that he relied on his faith during the crisis. Machchhar said that he normally recites the Hanuman Chalisa whenever he is in pain or facing a difficult situation, and he continued reciting it during the attack.

“Whenever I am in pain, I recite Hanuman Chalisa. At that time too, I only kept reciting the Hanuman Chalisa,” he said.

Machchhar added that he believed Lord Hanuman gave him the courage to keep going. “Today, one call from you makes me feel really proud,” he told Modi.

The emotional exchange continued as Machchhar apologised for breaking down during the conversation. He said he had never thought that he would one day get an opportunity to speak with the Prime Minister. Visuals from the interaction said he became visibly emotional while describing the ordeal and speaking about Modi.

Modi told Machchhar that the entire country was praying for his recovery and praised the quick decision-making that helped save the passengers.

“The whole country is praying for you,” Modi told him, while praising his courage, patience and presence of mind. The Prime Minister also said that Indians could proudly say they are people who are willing to risk their own lives to save others.

Modi had already publicly praised Machchhar a day earlier. In a post on X, he wrote, “Captain Smit Machchhar has shown the world the highest form of courage. Without fearing for his own life, he fought valiantly and prevented another 9/11 like attack from happening. 140 crore Indians salute Captain Smit and are praying for his well-being.”

The Prime Minister had also spoken to the pilot’s wife and parents earlier on Thursday, 1st October, assuring them of full consular and medical support from the Indian government.

The Congress IT cell attempts to paint Machchhar as Rahul Gandhi admirer

Even as the nation and world celebrated Captain Machchhar’s extraordinary valour, a political narrative quickly surfaced on social media. Barely a day after the heroics on Flydubai Flight FZ1073, the Congress IT cell and online trolls attempted to co-opt his massive public goodwill by trying to paint him as a Rahul Gandhi admirer. Social media users began widely circulating screenshots alleging that the captain himself was a supporter of the opposition leader.

The entire “evidence” relied upon a questionable Instagram account using the username @smitmachchhar, carrying his photograph, and commenting “Respect” on a post featuring Rahul Gandhi. However, the authenticity of the account has not been established. In fact, Instagram’s own “About this account” section raises serious questions. The account shown in the screenshots was created in July 2026. More importantly, Instagram shows that the account has had nine former usernames. There is also no visible verification establishing that the account belongs to the actual Flydubai captain.

This coordinated attempt to attach a political identity to the pilot appeared even more transparent given that Rahul Gandhi himself had initially stayed silent and failed to publicly praise the Indian pilot’s incredible courage. Rather than letting a globally celebrated national hero stand apart from dirty domestic electoral politics, partisan trolls chose to manufacture narratives, proving that some elements would rather spin a web of fake accounts than simply join the rest of the country in honouring a true hero.

Ultimately, Captain Machchhar’s own open admission during his conversation with Prime Minister Modi, where he openly stated that PM Modi is his biggest idol, completely dismissed the manufactured attempts by the Congress IT cell to portray him as a Rahul Gandhi fan. 

Written by OpIndia Staff
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