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Cinema has come of age and how! A film that had been banned
for over 2 years now, based on the catastrophic bomb blasts
in Mumbai city in 1993 has finally seen the light of day.
The film’s deep and meaningful intent to most of the
conspiracy and its effect resulting in the blast is rather
devastating to watch. The film throws light on what conspired
where, when, how between who and why that led to the Mumbai
blasts.
Mumbai has never been the same since March 12, 1993. It was
a day when terror struck. On that fateful Friday, the city
was rocked by serial bomb blasts in its most densely populated
areas. More than 250 innocent people died and hundreds more
were injured. S. Hussain Zaidi researched and documented the
events leading up to and the investigation thereafter of the
1993 Mumbai bomb blasts in a book published two years ago.
Based on the same book, director Anurag Kashyap has successfully
managed to bring the happenings live on the silver screen.
The film, which was struggling for an Indian theatrical release
since the last two years is not just an eye-opener but is
also one of the best films to be made in recent times.
The film shows what actually conspired and what led to the
Bombay blasts. It starts with the blast at the stock exchange
followed by the rest of them one after the other. The investigation
and unfolding of the people involved is what the director
narrates through the rest of the film.
Anurag Kashyap is at his best. He tells his story as it is,
breaking all cinematic rules. And that is the beauty of it.
Realism has always been Anurag Kashyap’s forte, as is
seen by his writings in Ramgopal Varma’s ‘Satya’,
‘Kaun’, and ‘Shool’. Now as a director
with ‘Black Friday’ he takes his penchant for
realism to another level altogether. Although by its very
nature the film has the feel of a docudrama, it is a realistic
attempt at portraying the truth behind the deadly blasts that
rocked the nation. Cinematography (Nataraja Subramaniam) is
out of the world. Action scenes (Sham Kaushal) are mind-boggling.
Background score is apt.
Pawan Malhotra, who enacts the role of Tiger Memon is outstanding.
He deserves full marks for a terrific portrayal. Kay Kay (Additional
Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria) is highly impressive.
Aditya Shrivastava (Badshah) is superb. Zakir Hussain is passable.
Arbaaz Ali Khan fits the role perfectly. Pankaj Jha is efficient.
Pratima Kazmi is all right. Vijay Maurya’s similarity
to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and international terrorist
Dawood Ibrahim is appalling. Rest of the cast lends adequate
support.
On the whole, Black Friday is excellent to the core. Do not
miss it at any cost. A must watch. Will surely go down in
the history of Indian cinema as among the best.
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