Black Friday

"When faced by injustice, most people sulk - only few do something about it."

Referred to Tiger Memon, the above quote might seem overly positive - but it is all the truth! And the movie Black Friday draws home this fact very tactfully that the Mumbai Bomb Blasts were nothing but a personal revenge by Tiger Memon for a personal loss he suffered during the '93 communal riots.

Many suffered loss in the riots - in both communities - and while the ISI would have been overly eager to take advantage of the situation in India - it is people like Tiger who directed the anger of few into an incident as chilling as the Mumbai Bomb Blasts.

I have always wondered as to why the underworld got involved into these bomb blasts which were linked to communal violence. The underworld in India, has been quite 'secular' to use a political term - composed of players from all communities and working for only one common goal - Money. In light of this fact, it hardly makes sense that the underworld would play any role in damaging Bombay - its golden goose. But the movie - made in semi documentary style, clarifies how Tiger Memon's monetary loss and his resulting fury paved way for this linkage.

In terms of performances - all actors have given strong performances, including those playing the accused; to mention a few Pawan Malhotra (as Tiger Memon), KK Menon (as Inspector Rakesh Maria), Aditya Srivastav (as Badshah Khan) and the actor who plays Asgar Muquadam (couldn't note down his name).

The storyline is as narrated in the book and the script is tight enough to keep you glued to your seats till the titles role. Each character is given enough time in the script to build its image while not loosing the speed or direction of narration. I would definitely rate the presentation and scripting of this movie better than Guru (which was also based in a real life story). The use of real names and rebuilding real characters makes the story even more credible!

The movie, apart from revealing how the conspirators were nabbed, also presents the planning of the conspiracy and the reasons behind the event. The director/editors have borrowed very relevant clips from the actual TV coverage and NewsTrack tapes, including the much famed Babri Masjid Newstrack tape.

The best part of the movie is the text that appears at the end, just before the titles role - the last line being the most chilling! I wont reveal what it is, because this movie is a must watch for every adult!