Mumbai, Oct. 2 -- Actor Varun Dhawan has praised Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage during the flydubai mid-air crisis, saying the pilot's actions have inspired and filled Indians with pride.

On his Instagram stories, Dhawan wrote, "Salute to our Capt. Smit Machchhachar. Your courage and bravery fills all of us with pride, What an inspiration. Jai Hind"

Varun Dhawan's tribute comes amid widespread recognition of Machchhar's actions during the incident, with public displays carrying the message "Thank you Captain Smit" also appearing in Mumbai.

Captain Machchhar, who is recovering from injuries in a UAE hospital, recently recounted his ordeal during a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

He said that desp...