The Attacks of 26/11

The Attacks of 26/11 is a powerful subject watered down by ineffective story-telling. This could have and should have been so much more.

Ram Gopal Varma is still not back to his best and The Attacks of 26/11 isn't an unqualified triumph. But it is certainly watchable.

It had the potential to be both smart procedural, and spiffy action, but '26/11' sinks somewhere in the middle.

It's a chapter in Mumbai's history that we'll never forget, so a movie on the attacks should have left you more than just comfortably numb.

The film helps one understand the complete crumbling of intelligence and the state of our policemen on beat, most with just laathis. One scene at the Leopold Cafe highlights this with two cops lobbing stones into the cafe after the terrorists have moved on. They have just their laathis with them. A stark display of how unarmed and vulnerable our policemen are.

It is a film that is completely performance driven. I would like to throw a word of praise for the casting director here. Debutante Sanjeev Jaiswal, as one of the two key members of the cast, has worked extremely well to portray Ajmal Kasab`s character onscreen. For Nana, this film substantiates the fact that he can pull off thoughtful, powerful and serious roles like a pro.