A Sonnet of Heresy

Black Friday

Save the world from going blind

After much controversy and a two-year ban, this film is released at last. And what a film it has turned out to be. I wont keep you waiting till the last line to tell you this is one film that you should watch, without fail.

The film is, of course all of us know that, about the 1993 Mumbai – then Bombay - blasts. And its sticks to the theme without any deviation. In fact, so religiously the director has followed the book on which the film is based, the film is actually divided into chapters. This helps the audience relate and understand an otherwise complex movie.

The film starts with a man in lock up informing the police about blasts that are going to take place in a few days. The police of course hardly believe – until it happens. But I feel the movie actually starts just before the blasts… there is uneasy silence, which is represented by a high decibel continuous sound. The sound gets louder till its unbearable and then the blasts… followed by complete silence. Very interesting indeed. Specially so because usually a tragedy is accompanied by some music but here it was complete silence. Silence that hit you so hard, it pains.

Another aspect of the film – it uses real names, of all the accused and even Tiger Memon.

Elaborate details of the blasts and how the accused were linked let the audience comprehend the whole incident. And yes, the story has skillfully lightened up by the excellent of humour wherever possible, be it Kay Kay eating a banana or eating nothing!

The film is well made. The script and screenplay is terrific. The cinematography is innovative. A lot of red light is used for scene during the interrogation. It’s candid movement just like the human eye. But may be cinematography is not about imitating the eye. The editing makes the film crisp.

The acting department is strong. Loads of underexposed good actors. I would like to mention that the actor playing Dawood looks quite similar! Pavan Malhotra, who plays Tiger Memon has done a brilliant job and so has Kay Kay, who needless to say has always been excellent throughout his career.

And yes the music. Indian Ocean scores. The music is just what was required for a film like this. The film ends with the track ‘Are ruk ja re bandeh’ which has already been quite a big hit since quite some time. The song gives strength to the quote of Gandhiji “An eye for an eye makes the whole blind” with which the films starts and end.

Anurag Basu, you could consider him a debutante as his first film Paanch is yet to release, is one more addition to the ‘different’ breed of film-makers.

The film is a complete closure. The film starts and ends with gandhiji’s quote. But again making an exception I would like to mention the same sound that come back at the end before ‘bandeh’ to be the closure.

I saw a movie after a long time, and boy as they say – patience bears great fruit. I saw a great movie.

To end it let me remind you guys “AN eye for and eye makes the whole world blind”

I recommend this film goes for Oscars next year