Remembering the 26/11 tragedy

When the City of Dreams was under 14 hrs of terror

Today marks the seventh tragic anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Though it’s been quite few years, the sequence of those horrible events still keep playing in my head once in a while.

This maybe because of the following reasons:-

1. I am a born Mumbaiite & relate to the city so much, even after having been away from it since last 3 years.  Perhaps, you can take the Mumbaiite out of Mumbai, but you can’t take the Mumbai out of a Mumbaiite !
2. I have perhaps, become a little more sensitive having stayed away from Mumbai, which is why I seem to have forgotten the spirit of Mumbai, to leave bygones as bygones & just move on
3. During those 14 hrs, I was working near Century Bazaar, Worli, not too far from South Mumbai, & was getting every bloody live update right there in office.
4. Couple of days after the incident, we receive a fake bomb alert, which actually blew the shit out of us, till the time, the bomb disposal team & sniffer dogs clarified that it was just a bloody hoax !

Nevertheless, coming back to the point, the actual tragedy that happened is still fresh in my mind ! Terror struck once again, this time at its peak, that too right in the heart of the ‘city of dreams’, Mumbai!! South Mumbai was usually regarded among the sophisticated, quieter and less trouble-some places of the city, compared to the suburbs. With most of the buildings/ infrastructure built by the British, even the 26th July 05’ deluge didn’t create much damage thanks to their highly efficient planning.

However, the three action-packed days 26/11 to 28/11 put a drastic end to all perceptions / misconceptions, openly proving the fact that every damn portion of the city is vulnerable to terror and nobody is safe. A group of technically sound, anti-socially influenced ‘kids’, loaded with arms walked right into the city under the security’s nose, and each one of us were at their mercy for 60 long hours.

Three of our ‘top’ cops lost their lives combating these kids, right on day one, which was another big blow. While some news channels played their parts well, showcasing minute by minute updates on the incidents, others stuck to TRP oriented links even during such critical times. Some went to the extent of spreading rumours and creating panic among viewers.

Politicians played their usual self, with 100% focus on their respective careers, vote banks and mud-slinging as expected. Ultimately the NSG intervened, putting an end to the dreaded tyranny, which almost seemed like continuing for months together, if not dealt with smartly. This entire series of incidents threw light on the following:-

• There are loop-holes in our Indian system, no doubt, but what’s even worse that these limitations are constantly being highlighted to ‘anti social groups’ by ‘fellow Indian traitors’.

• Whether ‘internal acts of vandalism’ or ‘external terror attacks’, it’s our own people who are directly/indirectly involved.

• Except the NSG, no other section of the society proved to be well equipped / strong enough to combat any sort of attack whether internal or external.

India does face lot of internal disturbances as well, quiet often with law & order going for a toss. This needs to be dealt with strongly and stopped once and for all. We, the present generation need to be taught the “Concept of Discipline”. All this could be done with the help of our armed forces only.

Frankly speaking, we the people of India are collectively responsible for every loophole in the system to some extent, because being in a democracy we ultimately get what we choose!! Power and responsibility go hand in hand.

Power bestowed upon an individual is best, when used as a strong tool to carry off responsibilities with utmost ease and maximum efficiency. Use of power, simply confined to fulfilment of self-interests, is nothing but nuisance value.

To bring about a change / revolution in the current system, one needs to possess immense qualities such as honesty, selflessness, meticulousness, practical approach, far-sight and above all patriotism. Jai Hind!

Goliyon ki Raas-Leela : Everything’s fair in Love & War !!

William Shakespeare’s works (esp. comedies & tragedies) keep inspiring film-makers from all parts of the world.  However, very few of them (esp. in Bollywood) manage to do justice in actually recreating them on the silver screen in the form of 2-3 hr feature film.

So far, Gulzar sahab’s (Angoor) tribute to “A Comedy of Errors” &  Vishal Bhardwaj’s , Maqbool & Omkara adapted from Macbeth & Othello respectively, could perhaps be considered having come closer (even surpassed) to the originals !

Sanjay Leela Bhansali,  “a man with a creative canvas larger  than the 70 mm screen“ is known to make stories woven with a chiffon fabric of Indian roots & traditions.

With Goliyon Ki Raasleela – Ram Leela, Bhansali presents his adaptation of the timeless classic, Romeo + Juliet, set in the backdrop of rural Gujarat. 

The story begins in Ranjaar, a fictitious town  in rural Gujarat, where arms & ammunition are openly sold  like ‘hot cakes’ !  To make things worse, the town is predominantly, inhabited by two communities Rajaaris & Saneraas, who are at loggerheads with each other.

They keep engaging in violent brawls, at the drop of a hat, with law & order also being controlled by them to a large extent. 

Amidst this deadly chaos, starts blooming an intense love story between Ram (from Rajaari clan) & Leela (from Sanera clan). Here begins a battle of  Guns Vs Roses between the two & their respective families. What happens next, (even though may seem a cliche), is better watched than explained.

Though the plot of Romeo & Juliet has been attempted, time & again, it is Bhansali’s rendition has an unusual, combination of contemporary, rural & rustic feel to it, which makes it an interesting watch.

Cinematography (Ravi Verman) & Art Direction (Wasiq Khan) are the highlights of the film. The beautiful amalgamation of both make it a visual treat !

Music composed by Bhansali himself, is a revelation. The director pleasantly surprises experimenting with different genre viz. folk, romantic, masala, etc.

Dialogues by Sidharth Garima are pretty crisp, but at times, humor crosses the thin line between naughty & cheap.

Editing (Rajesh Pandey) could have been tighter. 

Coming to the performances,it’s veteran actress Supriya Pathak Kapur who rules the roost. Though in a supporting role, her character is the strongest in the film. Her sheer on screen presence gives you goosebumps ! It is amazing & refreshing to see her in this new avtaar !

Ranveer Singh impresses a lot. His Gujarati dialect, flamboyance, apt display of emotions, & antics suit the role to the T.

Deepika looks stunning & her on screen chemistry with Ranveer sets fire (though slightly vulgar at times).

However, compared to the portrayal of female protagonists in Bhansali’s earlier films Khamoshi(Manisha), HDDCS(Aish), Black(Rani), Devdas(Madhuri), I personally felt, her character was slightly weak.

Other actors, Gulshan Devaiah, Abhimanyu Shekhar, Sharad Kelkar, Richa Chaddha, Barkha Bist play their parts exceptionally well.

Overall, a good film, worth a watch

Rating: ***1/2