I can tell you the audience reaction: which should convince you to watch it. From the first attack scene, there was stunned silence. The rapture of the audience could be gaged from the first counter-attack by Indian Police, at which the entire audience burst out in applause. Or from the thunderous applause, as Nana Patekar, after showing remarkable control in his role, hits Kasab for the first time; or from the applause his closing lecture on Jihad (given to Kasab) got. It is a very emotive topic for us - and if you watch it, chances are that you too will get caught in the flow of emotions. I rate it 4.5 stars out of 5!
There is nothing commercial in the movie: you will see more blood than you have seen in all other movies combined. A feeling of pent-up frustration, rage, anger builds up in you as you watch the brutality - which has been picturised in a very traumatising manner - for well over an hour and 30 minutes. There is no let-up; you just watch with total helplessness as the attack progresses. The murders have been graphically depicted: there is much in the movie that will be extremely depressing to impressionable minds. Such as an unforgettable scene - full 3 - 5 minutes as per my impression, as the terrorists search for survivors - in the backdrop of a child crying by his mother’s dead body. The sound almost drives you crazy with rage - as a plaintive cry of the child is the only sound that echoes across a stunned audience... the movie is a worth a watch for that scene alone!
This movie is not an action movie; there is no NSG action shown. It is about the police- and our total lack of preparation for such events. the dialogues deserve a special mention; absolute top class. A few dialogues of Nana Patekar stand out: "27 saal se police mein hoon - par peheli baar mujhe nahi samajh aa rahaa hai ki kyaa karoon. I dont know what to do! We need outside help: this on a phone call to Delhi. "Aise mein meri peheli jawaabdaari thi Kasab ko bachaana - dono, mujhse aur meri force se" "Agar kanoon ne haath nahi baandhe hote, toh main usse wahin chir detaa" "Mujhe information chaahiye thi - jo sirf Kasab de saktaa thaa" "Aise mein mere paas waqt nahi thaa aise mahaan adarshon ke liye"
The film leaves you with a better appreciation of the terror attack; it is not a light watch; and it is certainly not a careless mindless movie. It is a movie with a message: the woeful state of affairs in our police forces: with AK-47s and modern weapons being met by Lathis, Revolvers and .303s. It is a movie that exposes our lack of systems and processes in the police; it leaves you with an understanding of the stark reality of the Indian Police... A must watch, in my opinion!
I frankly rate it as RGV’s best movie; he has connected both to the topic and to the audience better than ever before; he has presented the attack with full force and no relief; you can feel the frustration build up insde you; you can feel the rage and anger. And as regards using public emotion - I dont mind a moviemaker tapping into public emotion, as long as he does it with class. The movie has a powerful message, and exposes our inadequacies. As I said, one just has to see the audience burst into applause during the second half of the movie to realise the tremendous connect RGV has made with the Audiences. But a word of advice: dont watch it if you are expecting semi-naked cavorting ladies, or mindless romance thrown into a serious topic, or a light watch that refreshes you, or a movie that you can enjoy and then forget. This movie is neither of the above; you wont forget it in a hurry - and it is decidedly not a light watch. It hits you hard - very hard- in the gut.
When revewing a movie on such emotive topics: one can either see whether the topic has been dealt with well; whether justice has been done to the enormity of the topic concerned. Or, one can start picking holes. Dosh toh chaand mein bhi dikhai dega agar dhundhne jaaoge toh. Iskaa kyaa yeh matlab hai ki poornima koh bhi bhool jaayein? * And my verdict: the demands of the topic have been covered well. Instead of showing the NSG action and police action, the focus is on highlighting the brutality of the attack, flaws in the system; and telling the police side of the story. And there is no escape from the fact that this approach has made a connect with the majority of the Audience: all you have to do is listen to the reactions as the movie unfolds...