Set on the backdrop of Mumbai, the tale revolves around the Mumbai commissioner (Nana Patekar) testifying before the commission and recalling the murderous episode of group of terrorists who entered from Pakistan. Two among them were Ajmal Kasab (Sanjeev Jaiswal) Omar (Saad Orhan) and how they hijacked the Indian fishing trawler Kuber and attacked various areas of Mumbai like Cama Hospital, Mumbai CST, Taj and other places. The story goes between what happened between 9pm and 1 am on that fateful night.
Performances:
Nana Patekar was exceptional in his performance. The way he showed his varied emotions of anger, frustration and helplessness was well depicted. He also scored for his resilience in few sequences. Sanjeev Jaiswal was so involving with his character that he is going to annoy the audience in many ways with his coldness. Same with Saad Orhan who was competent. Atul Kulkarni was excellent, Ravi Kale, Ganesh Yadav made their presence felt with their value added performances.
On the Technical Front:
The background score provided by various music makers have been in sync and they provided that haunting and melancholic effect. The songs that ran on the backdrop were equally suitable. Cinematography was marvelous and though the angles were typical RGV style they didn’t experiment too much. Editing was scissor sharp and cut the sequences promptly. Dialogues were brief but they were hard hitting. Script was perfectly adapted and the screenplay was completely absorbing. Costumes were very much depicting the past and the art department was impeccable.
Analysis:
Ram Gopal Varma has been facing a lot of criticism over the past few years for his eccentric style of filmmaking, his poor grip over the content and many other aspects. But to those who always regarded him as a trendsetting and shock value moviemaker, they will see his comeback with a vengeance in this one. The way RGV adapted the entire episode and condensed it into a two hour story is commendable. The challenge for him is the way he repeated a story known to all in the most interesting manner and was able to generate the emotions which forms the key.
The way the whole scenario was recreated and the way it was presented in the most realistic fashion needs applause. The film takes off on a high note and there is not a moment of idling anywhere. The first scene gets you into the story and the interval bang leaves you speechless. The second half is equally intense and at the end of it, the audience would leave the theaters with mixed emotions of pain, pride, remorse and nostalgia. Overall, this is a film which has everything going right so success is guaranteed at the box office.
Verdict: Haunting and heart squeezing
