Shot in 2004, the film was finally released on Feb 9, 2007 in India. Why the 3 year delay you ask; the reason being the honesty and brutality with which this movie depicts is perhaps a reason good enough for such a delay. Well, the movie is based on the 1993 Mumbai Serial Blasts and when it was about to release in 2004-2005, the final verdict in the case was still pending and there were fears that this film would alter the final judgment. Need a better example of the power of cinema and how it can influence the way you think??!!....

Based on the carefully researched book by S. Hussain Zaidi of the same name and directed by Anurag Kashyap; the film deals about the Mumbai serial blasts of 93 and the subsequent investigation that followed. The film has a wonderful narration; it's a police investigation and as the film progresses, the reason and the method of the blasts and the planning are carefully revealed from one of the accused, Badshah Khan who realises that what he has done is wrong.

The Plot: After the police take over the investigation of the blasts, the first thing they come across is a abandoned van which has a clue to one of the first criminal related to the case. He happens to be the accountant of Tiger Memnon, the Mastermind behind the whole plot. There after it's a domino effect where many of the accused directly involved in making and planting of the bombs are caught. The investigation led by Rakesh Maria, played by Kay Kay, succeeds in making one of the accused Badshah Khan realise that they have killed lot of innocent people and also that their God wasn't on their side in this mission. He then reveals, each and every detail as to how they were hired for this mission, where they were trained and how the plan itself took shape. It's later revealed that the very reason for this was to take revenge of the Babri Masjid demolition and the communal violence that followed it.

Probably the most mesmerizing part of this plot is the story and the way in which it is revealed like a carefully researched investigation. And on top of that, the acting by almost all the protagonists especially Kay Kay and Pawan Malhotra (who plays Tiger Memnon) and Aditya Shrivastava (who plays Badshah Khan) deserve special mention. The feeling that Dawood Ibrahim, the prime accused in the case gets such little screen presence that it leaves you wonder had he been anyway related to the case. Well, that discussion is for some other day or some other movie!!...the film also points out its finger to ISI, Pakistan for their direct involvement in the case, right from supplying arms and ammunition and training the accused. There are also videos of the interviews of 92, 93 related to this incident which augment the sense of realism that is attached to it.

It's a No Nonsense, brutal, honest and bold movie!....I can't think of a reason why someone shouldn't watch this movie, this one is definitely going into my favourite list accompanied by other Hindi/English movies like Mr and Mrs Iyer, Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi and Omkaara....I am looking forward to see more movies from this director...rumour has it he is planning to make a modern version of Devdas!....