The Attacks of 26/11
Year: 2013
Director: Ram Gopal Verma
Cast: Nana Patekar, Sanjeev Jaiswal

Even though they happened way back in 2008, the terrorist attacks of 26/11 are still fresh in every Indian’s mind. Don’t you still remember that eventful day when people all over India and all across the globe sat transfixed in front of their televisions, watching Mumbai reel under the attacks of some trained fanatic assassins?

The evil plot masterminded across the border; the surreptitious sea-route entry; the barbaric mowing down of the innocents in places like Leopold Café, CST railway station, Cama Hospital, Taj, Trident and Nariman House; the shocking slayings of the protectors of law and the bloody battles to capture and kill the mercenaries ----almost every part of this real-life drama either played out live or was discussed to death on all TV channels.

This orchestrated terrorist act had all possible human emotions embedded into it. On one hand, it was about terrorists’ religious fanaticism, misguided daredevilry and utter disregard for humanity but on the other hand, it was also about people’s courage, bravery, patriotism and enduring human spirit.

So it is easy to understand a film-maker’s fascination for such a complex plot. But how does Ram Gopal Verma, a film-maker always mired in controversies, transform this disturbing historic event on to silver screen?

What’s hot?

·         RGV manages to reconstruct that horrific day’s terror events in graphic detail making us relive those blood-curdling violent moments.

·         Fast-paced narrative.

What’s not?

·         By choosing to focus mainly on Kasab’s terrorist acts and his subsequent capture and thereby ignoring the Taj, Trident and Nariman House battles, the film loses the opportunity to add many triumphant acts of courage into a largely depressing tale full of tragedies and mindless violence.

·         The last third of the film turns into an unconvincing verbose battle of ideologies between the top cop Rakesh Maria and the captured Ajmal Kasab.

·         Both these central characters have been needlessly turned into a typically filmi hero – villain pair trading ‘dialogues’ for the gallery!

·         As a result, their performances ring hollow.

Verdict

Ram Gopal Verma’s film presents a pretty authentic but still limited documentation of an important event in India’s recent history. But while it succeeds at a basic documentary level, it fails miserably at a higher cinematic level.

It could have been a good film if it had artistically presented the facts through the ‘human angle’ spectrum of either a ‘triumph over tragedy’ theme or an ‘insight into the mind of a terrorist’ theme. But the plot, presentation and central portrayals lack the required finesse and that’s why the film doesn’t progress beyond being just a well-researched (melo)dramatic recreation of history.

The Attacks Of 26-11 is a well-made film but it lacks the strong emotional/intellectual/artistic core to make a deeper impact.