The Attacks of 26/11 Review

Behind the Movie The Attacks of 26/11: With a big row of flops, Ramgopal Varma is never so intensely criticized as what we see in these days. In this siutation, taking up the concept of a real life brutal incident which is marked as Days of Terror in Mumabi is a daring attempt from RGV. Each and every Indian has heard, read and watched enough about the attacks of 26/11 on Mumbai. Let us see, what RGV actually wants to show us?

In the Movie The Attacks of 26/11: Story telling begins with Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria (Nana Patekar) detailing the complete process starting from the entry of 10 wild minded terrorists entering into India through the sea waters hijacking the trawler MV Kuber till the habging of Ajmal Jasab. More than story, this is a screenplay dominated show with attacks on Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Leopold Cafe, Taj Mahal Hotel and Cama Hospital shown in feature. Later on, the sole attacker Kasab (Sanjeev Jaiswal) is caught alive and then hanged at Yerawada Jail in Pune last year. 

Values & Out of the Movie The Attacks of 26/11: If the noble and commercial motives of RGV behind selection of this kind of story is kept aside, as a technical genius his intenion was more inclnied towards capturing the agony, helplessness and fear of victims along with misguided, psycho mindsets of terrorists. Never to mention, the blood and gore which always ignites RGV have taken the driver's seat in first half. 

As a reviewer, the amount of time and kind of dedication put in by RGV to recreate the atmoshere of CST, Taj Mahal Hotel and then replicating the same attacking incidents for shooting purposes have sent shock waves through my mind for a while. Of course, the incidents ar Nariman House were missing in the narrative. Never to miss, RGV is even capable of offering moral tuitions. The lengthy episode of confrontation between Nana Patekar and Sanjeev Jaiswal at morgue is altogether different treatment from a man like RGV.

In simple, this films is more of documentary touch in first half re-enacting the gruesome episodes while RGV changed his style dealing the second half. He still kept the travel of movie smooth with no big jerks. If Nana is at his usual best with best mannerisms, Sanjeev Jaiswal was an apt fit. Atul Kulkarni and Ganesh Yadav are just in for cameos. Even then, it is RGV whom we keep on reminding as long as we take exit door. This man is a magician and the his imagination to portray the massacres on screen will make us simply believe that this is what really happened in Mumbai on that day. 

Cinematography  of Harshraj Shroff, Ravichandran is top notch like the mindblowing background score of Amar Mohile. Kudos to art director Uday Prakash Singh while Sunil Wadhwani's editing could have been little more crispy in second half. As a team, they have created a definite impact on our minds. Personally, many of us may not love to see blood-bathing episodes in a movie. Even for such people, 'The Attacks of 26/11' is attention pulling because the wounds of Mumbai attacks on that ill-fated day are still fresh in our minds. 

In totality, 'The Attacks of 26/11' may be a bit exaggerated from the vision of RGV yet this is powerfully crude to stir our brains for a while. If ultimate idea of making a feature film is to either entertain audience or educate them, this movie falls under none of these categories. Few of us might suggest the talented filmmaker to re-create and re-tell some really meaningful subjects to fill positivism in society. But, he never listens to them becasue that is how the brand RGV behaves. If you love to watch movies just only for entertainment purpose, keep away even from theatres screening these attacks. Caution holds more importance especially for family audience...

Cinejosh Verdict of the Movie The Attacks of 26/11: The Recreated Attacks of RGV  

                                                  Cinejosh Rating: 2.5/5 

                                                                                                            Reviewed by Srivaas