Ace photographer Atul Kasbekar, who made his debut as a producer with "Neerja", says people thought that the makers of the Sonam Kapoor-starrer were crazy as it had two women headlining it.

"Neerja" -- a biopic on the life of Neerja Bhanot who sacrificed her life while saving passengers on board hijacked PanAm flight 73 -- released on Friday. The Ram Madhvani-directorial has earned rave reviews so far.

Sonam features in the lead role, while Shabana Azmi essays her mother's role.

"Everybody thought we were crazy to attempt making this movie headlining two women (Sonam and Shabana). It was only our conviction and belief that Neerja's story had do be told and that the audience is ready for great content first," Kasbekar said in a statement.

Karan Johar, Subhash Ghai and Ayushmann Khurrana are some of the celebrities who have lauded "Neerja".