The Attacks of 26/11 Movie Review: Brutality at the worst

26.11.2008 - This day still gives our souls a shiver as we recall the gruesome, compassionless, callous killings in Mumbai, carried out by a few ruthless Pakistani beasts. The deadly attack left an indelible scar on each and every Indian. Five years gone, yet those deadly, nightmarish, blood-curdling, horrific scenes of the ill-fated night remains fresh in our minds.

Story
It's certainly not a child's play for any filmmaker to portray such a mayhem and barbaric act onscreen. Especially, someone like Ram Gopal Varma, who has repeatedly tortured the audience with films like Department, Aag and Bhoot Returns. But this time, the maverick is back with a big bang with his latest release The Attacks Of 26/11. Varma re-tells the bloodbath, torrential shower of bullets and bombs that rained down on Mumbai on Nov 26, 2008, through his latest flick.

The Attacks of 26/11 features Nana Patekar, debutant Sanjeev Jaiswal and Atul Kulkarni in the leads. The first hour of the film graphically recreates the violence that Ajmal Kasab and his gang unleashed in various strategic centres of Mumbai, where maximum impact was ensured for their mayhem. Right from the very beginning, where Kasab and his team hijack an Indian trawler, then entering Mumbai and finally carrying out their brutal operation by slaughtering the innocents at Leopold Cafe, CST station and Taj Hotel. There is extensive show of barbarous game-plan of mayhem, massive destruction, merciless killings, agony and violence of the concerned night in the film.

The second half of the movie takes the show forward as in how Kasab gets captured and how he finally spills the beans behind the attack, during an interrogation. He reveals his intention to butcher as many innocents as possible, showing no mercy on women or children. They were on a mission for widespread terror, panic and agitation all over Mumbai. Varma doesn't spare us the details of the demoniacal attack, when the violent deviants killed men women children in luxury hotels and public places.

Performances
Nana Patekar delivers an absolutely marvellous performance. But, someone, who deserves a standing ovation would be debutante Sanjeev Jaiswal for the portrayal of the role of Ajmal Kasab onscreen. Right from the beginning of the film, Jaiswal aka Kasab doesn't speak a word, instead giving some bloody expression, while the massacre went on at CST station. It was during the second half, Kasab confesses his crime to the cops during an interrogation. And, that's what possibly we are looking forward at. You can't help but hate Jaiswal, his hatred-filled dialogues and intense enactment of the young terrorist Kasab were just outstanding. He pulls off the serious, bloody, brutal and powerful role of that of a terrorist in a very smart and convincing way.

Verdict
This one can be termed as the 'brutality at the worst'. The Attacks of 26/11 is an extremely intense, moving and gripping film, that deals with terrorism at its rawest form.