For years, I thought that Bombay Bom Blasts was the handiwork of agaonised Muslim youths, who wanted to avenge the death of Muslims in December 1992 and January 1993 riots. While, the country remained sharply divided on the communal lines, the fundamentalists on each side kept blaming the other community for the everything that went wrong between the two communities. Somehow the Bombay Bomb Blasts gradually faded form the memory, only to be refreshed in between regular intervals, as the police, the prosecution and defenses pressed charges against the other.
We might never know the truth, but the thing is, far from being a revenge of one community against the other, it was more of handiwork of a few scums of earth and outlaws, who were more bent on seeking personal revenge for the loss of property they suffered than seeking vengence on behalf of their community. The movie skillfully shows how the masterminds of the blasts, influence simple hard working, lower class muslim youth to carry out heinous crimes against people in the name of revolution/jihad/revenge. It also shows the active hand of Pakistan’s ISI and Dawood Ibrahim in fomenting the blasts.
The movie depicts, how the masterminds safely enconsed themselves in luxurious Dubai, while their foot soldiers are on the run from the law of the hands. Be it Asghar Muqadam, the young lad and "accountant" of Tiger Memom or be it Badshah Khan, the third in command. You cannot help but feel pity for these characters, find themselves in.
The movie plot brilliantly unfolds the events that led to the Bombay Bomb Blasts and its aftermath. Though, making a movie on such a subject not only requires exhaustive research, but also the directorial skills come into play to weave the real life events int the script so seamlessly that it looks like a film but it is also a brillint documentary that astrives to find the truth behind the blasts.
Performance wise, it is Pawan Malhotra, who plays Tiger Memom and KK, as ACP Rakesh Maria win hands down. The next in the line, is the brilliant portrayal of Badshah Khan’s character played by Aditya Srivastava. Aditya Srivastava effortlessly portrays the anger, the urge to take revenge, the disappointment and the despondency of fugitive in almost an oscar winning style.
Pawan Malhotra sends shivers down your spine with his brilliant portrayal of Tiger Memom. His cold, hard looks, menacing eyes and pose just stand out of on its own. KK as ACP Rakesh Maria, plays his character well and his performance is somewhat mellowed. You can see in his eyes the pressure, the fatigue, the anger and the frustration the police officers had to go through, by hunting evidence, when there was apparently none.
How I wish, more films were made where the real actors like Pawan Malhotra, KK and Aditya Srivastava get to show their acting acumen.
In all’Black Friday’ is a movie that is a must see, which helps in uncovering the unknown aspects of bombay blasts, the pyschology behind it and its repercussions on the society and country as whole.