The Attacks of 26/11

Long time after Sarkar, RGV has made, not great but, a movie which will hold you tightly to your seat with a sequence of shocking, painful, disturbing but true events.

Based on the facts disclosed by Rakesh Maria (then Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai Police. Now Chief of Anti Terrorist Squad, Maharashtra) to Investigation Committee regarding the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai, story is narrated by Nana Patekar who played the role of Rakesh Maria. Nana as usual has given an outstanding performance but other characters in movie lacked badly the acting skills. Sajeev Jaiswal, as Ajmal Kasab, was undoubtedly a good choice to play the role but overacted in a sequence where he was interrogated by Nana. The scene where Nana as police officer takes Ajmal to mortuary and shows the dead bodies of others terrorists is the most outstanding scene of the movie with marvellous dialogue delivery by Nana. RGV also tried smartly to infuse some moral dialogues to avoid hurting any religious sentiments and conveyed a message that terrorism is just a product of some ruthless insane minds and not of any community or religion.

The script lacked some deep emotions. It was all about killing and butchering of people all over the city. Audience would have liked to know something more about the terrorists and reason behind making them into such killing machines.

It's highly recommended to watch this movie only if you are interested to know the truth and mentally prepared to see enormous bloodshed, others should know that this is not one that can be enjoyed with popcorn.

I just watched 'The Attacks of 26/11' on Eros Now... not sure why so called Critics are writing against this movie or debating about what is missed to show in the movie. Somehow I feel; this movie is not about what is shown and what is missed ... it's a depiction of those tragic and barbaric events where Indians suffered, Indian forces suffered, it was a situation in which nobody actually knew what was going on for first few hours ... everyone learned a lesson with the hardest way about security, lapses, proactive preparedness, faith and sad psychopaths trained in the name of God. Movie has it's heart in a right place and there is a message too - if someone really wants to understand it.

This is not an easy film to watch but it is a highly recommended one.

A group of young men get hold of a boat and disembark in Mumbai with one and only intention: to kill as many as possible. In case one wonders as to why, the quickest response would be that they were convinced that such a deed would please God and a pleasurable paradise would await them.

Once ashore they follow their mission to the last letter. Death is spread in Mumbai like virus. In a taxi, cafe, hotel, train station and hospital.

The blindness of religious indoctrination does not allow them for a single moment to think and comprehend their actions; after all they are pleasing God, or so they were convinced.

The scenes are both graphic and distressing to watch. For much of this film, I wish I had been there to warn the unsuspecting family man, the child, the female clerk all of whom died simply because they were on their path.

The theme of the film must not be misunderstood as being anti-Islam but anti-fanaticism. Religion in itself is not the problem, extremism is.

Watch it, shed tears and pray for healing and compassion.

Any story based on real-life events can only connect if it has a soul thereby making an instant connect with the audience. In the case of "The Attacks of 26/11" only after Kasab is captured the human side begins to surface. Until this point in time, the entire proceedings seem to be a documentary devoid of any emotion what so ever. If the writer/ director would have addressed this right from the first frame "The Attacks of 26/11" would have been a different experience altogether.

Sanjeev Jaiswal as Kasab is first class. Delivers a master-piece performance. Atul Kulkarni was wasted in a minuscule role and perhaps warranted better footage. Nana Patekar comes alive only after the capture of Kasab and is a treat to watch him portray the Joint Police Comissioner. Pre-dominantly "The Attacks of 26/11" appears to Rakesh Maria's version of what happened back then.

Yes, its a great attempt but could have been definitely better.

If only acting of other characters (Nana Patekar stands out as usual) have been up to the line, this could have been a great movie. The narrative in voice of Nana Patekar is really able to bind you with each and every scene. Some of the events are overly explained and acting of Kasab (Sanjeev) disappoints. The best part of movie is where Joint Commissioner of Police and Kasab are in face to face (happens twice). In first one, RGV is able to bring out the mindset of terrorists and meaning of jihad for them, In the second one, he is able to narrate the falsehood in the theory of jihad and extremist characteristics of religion. It has bollywoodiya style of telling the story but that's OK because its not a documentary, it's a commercial cinema movie.

Why watch: If you are like thriller and action (too much gunshots, bloodshed). If you are fan of Nana Patekar's acting and RGV's movies.

Why not watch: If you like romantic and tadk-bhadak movies. If you are thinking it as documentary on 26/11 attacks.