Great Indian Movies - Black Friday. Review on Black Friday

I always considered Anurag Kashyap as one of the most unfortunate filmmakers whose movies are banned for different reasons curbing down the highest level of artistry in India. Year 1998-1999, Anurag first became a household name in critical circuit with his screenplay of magnificent films like Kaun, Shool, and Satya.

Year 2003, Anurag moved himself in director chair and created critically acclaimed Paanch, which is foolishly banned by stupid Indian Censor Board for its over usage of foul language.Year 2004, his second film, Black Friday based on 1993 Bombay bomb blast was banned by Mumbai High court. Just day before its release in 2004, alleged perpetrators of Bombay blasts petitioned against film's release because of pending verdict of their 1993 blasts case.

For me, it was stupid decision to ban the film because it’s original source was already out in the public. If one form of art (book) is released then why ban another form of art (film). After two years, Black Friday got the ray of light after getting tremendous response in film festivals throughout the world and after watching this film, my first thoughts were - Bravo Mr. Kashyap for your brilliant effort and welcome to the league of new generation of important Indian filmmakers.

Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday (2007) is the recreation of 1993 serial Bombay bomb blasts and investigations following bomb blasts based on same name book written by journalist S. Hussain Zaidi.

Story*

Black Friday opens with Mahatma Gandhi’s quote "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" and police interrogation of small time gang member, Gul Mohammed in Nav Pada police custody. He informs police regarding future Bombay blasts but police officer laughs at his confession and in their horror, three days later, series of twelve bomb blasts on March 12th 1993 rocks financial hub of India leaving aftermath of more than 300 people dead and thousands of people injured.

Soon police investigating blast locations discovers that the bombs were made of RDX and using their first lead from the unattended scooter, arrests Tiger Memon's secretary - Asgar Mukadam. After harsh interrogation, Asgar confesses names headed by Tiger Memon behind explosions and how they planted bombs all over the key points of Bombay including Bombay stock exchange, Worli Passport Office, Air India Building, Pair of Centaur hotels, Plaza Theatre, Fishing community, and many of Hindu concentrated areas.

Bombay police puts together special investigation team headed by officer Rakesh Maria (Kay Kay Menon). Investigation team started tracking down perpetrators and suspects scattered around Bombay. Tiger Memon (Pavan Malhotra) and his family already flew out of India for Dubai just day before blasts. Many of main perpetrators including Badshah Khan (Aditya Srivastava) left Bombay and went into hiding. Badshah Khan is running away from police to his hometown in UP to Rajasthan to Delhi to Calcutta until he gets caught and brought back to Bombay. After initial interrogation and Maria's enlightenment of how he has been used by Tiger Memon, Badshah khan becomes chief police witness.

Badshah khan confesses police that after demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6th 1992 by Hindu extremists in Ayodhya and following Bombay Hindu-Muslim riots in December 1992 and January 1993, many of Muslim community suffered mental, emotional, and monitory setbacks. Among them was Tiger Memon, who was leading smuggling and money-laundering business of Dubai based don Dawood Ibrahim. Dawood along with ISI in Pakistan and Tiger Memon in Bombay started planning for revenge with bomb blasts in Bombay – recruits Muslim men in the name of religion, trains them in Pakistan, smuggles RDX in Bombay, and executes their plan successfully on March 12th 1993 leaving India's financial capitol shell-shocked.

Analysis

*Black Friday is 150 minute raw, grim, gritty, and relentlessly hard-hitting song-less film. It reminded me of The Battle of Algiers, one of the greatest political films I ever seen. From the very first scene, Black Friday establishes itself as documentary style film revolving around the investigation following the horrifying Bombay bomb blasts intermixed with real footages.

Black Friday is Anurag Kashyap's answer to the aftermaths of terrorism where no one wins. He is neutral delivering message of religious harmony be it Hindu extremist’s activities forces Muslims to suffer during Bombay riots or portraying how Hindu suffered after Bombay bomb blast. Perhaps best aspect of this film is it never tries to preach harmony and still its hits hard to viewer where it hurts most. From Bombay blasts to fall of Babari Masjid to Bombay riots, it travels full circle and takes viewers to the journey from how it happens to why it happens.

One of the most unique things about the movie is its brilliant screenplay. It talks about Bombay bomb blast and its investigation with non-linear format. First it establishes itself with Bombay bomb blast and then it episodes itself with the chapters. Another memorable ingredient of the movie is its dry-humor situations in tense screenplay. Just look out for the scene when police try to arrest suspect locked in toilet or when police officer asks perpetrator to stop running during foot-chase in crowded slum. Another interesting part is small scenes pointing out nuisance of the characters or events - guy steeling from the dead bodies at the blast site, a Muslim old man hides himself fearing police during riots, investigator eating food with conspirators to avoid hurting their religion, and small Anglo Indian girl talks about how she is afraid of Tiger Memon.

In acting front, Kay Kay Menon, Pavan Malhotra, and Aditya Srivastava are standouts among parades of actors. There are more than 20-30 important characters in the film and beauty of screenplay is all characters are brilliantly etched out. You as viewer know who is police, conspirator, or middleman. Its real character is Mumbai city itself. After Satya, Black Friday takes viewers to the real Mumbai tour like no other Indian film did it before from crowded streets to crowded bazaars to tiny slum streets to tramway tracks.

Indian Ocean’s background music especially eerie silent noise after bomb blasts when camera hovering over creepy dead bodies and the final soundtrack, Are Ruk Jaa Re Bandheh once the movie ends leaves mesmerizing impact.

In short, Black Friday is one of the rare Indian films leaves you speechless even long after movie’s end credit rolls. As far as my concern, it’s one of the best films of this decade and a must see for all true Indians.