The Attacks of 26/11

Breaking news to disbelief to shock to terror to sorrow to anguish to helplessness; I believe all of us went through these emotions during one of the most daring terrorist attacks to our country on that dreadful date of 26/11/2008. An unfortunate and sad incident that left about 160 people dead and more than 250 injured before police and NSG rescued and managed to kill all but one terrorists; an incident that shook the entire country. Enough has read, watched, heard and discussed on this but even today, a mention of this date brings alive those terrorizing moments.

Ram Gopal Varma had also created quite a controversy during that time when he visited the Taj hotel along with then chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh because everyone felt that he was doing a survey of the place to make a film on this. While that was denied by him at that time, he has actually come up with a film reconstructing as to what all really happened in that attack.

While you know what to expect in the film, it doesn’t cover the entire episode but only focuses on what transpired in the first few hours of the attack. The events are narrated through the eyes of the JCP of Mumbai (played by Nana Patekar) starting from the terrorists capturing Kuber, entering in Mumbai, their attacks on Leopold café, Taj, CST and Cama Hospital and arrest of Kasab. The film then moves past the eventual successful rescue operation by only stating it and of course, ends with Kasab’s hanging that happened recently.

RGV has managed to get lot of things right in what could have just ended as a documentary. The opening sequence wherein Kuber is captured and the eventual attacks on various places and killings of people have been shot with detailed graphics that actually hit you hard. Few sequences particularly around interval time numb you with shock and sadness and move your heart to what all those innocent people including kids and women would have faced and felt at that moment. Also, the sequences and conversations highlighting how young innocent Pakistanis are being brainwashed into becoming killers in the name of jihad are quite meaningful.

But the film is not without flaws; it is slow paced, covers only some parts of what really was a long fight against terror, tries to look at things through JCP thus subconsciously portraying him as a hero of the film which was undesired, and the long conversations between him and Kasab in the end despite being relevant shift the focus of the film somewhat out of the main issue. It has loads of bloodshed and the scenes depicting the killings are going to be disturbing to watch for lot of people. Also, it lacks entertainment value (which of course could never have been the objective of such a story) and so it means it’ll appeal only to selective people who have the heart and the intent to appreciate such films.

After making absolute duds in Not a love story and Department, RGV hits back some form in this film and manages to take you through that unfortunate incident in a touching way though it could have done so much better.

Cinema Analyst's Take – Above Average. Watch it; If nothing else it will probably make you thank God and value his biggest blessing…..life.