Bombay Dying - My Thoughts on Black Friday (2006)

The day was March 11, 1993.

Two very close friends, out to represent their college at a quiz contest had a major tiff.

The boy - an arrogant, egoistic, self-opinionated insufferable brat accused his simple, homely partner of deliberately hurting his sentiments,of making fun of his eccentricities in front of her more sociable friends and of remaining a silent spectator at the barbs that often came his way from her boyfriend and her other friends; the girl protested calmly but firmly… and before they knew it, this innocuous conflagration between friends widened and reached a boiling point till finally at last, frustrated with what he perceived to be a humiliating position, the boy walked out in a huff.

The girl desperately tried to sort all misunderstandings between them despite being subjected to silent stares and stony silence from the other end all evening. For about 3 hours, she pleaded with him, tried to reason out with him and after long persuasion, finally they agreed to meet the next day at Plaza for a quick chat, a good movie and possible rapprochement - the next day i.e. March 12, 1993….

But … The next day was March 12, 1993… the day Bombay went up in flames and the spectre of terror and naked fear unfurled on Bombay horizons.


Yes..... A lot of water has passed down Mumbai's famed sealine since that fateful day when Bombay finally went down fighting hard to the forces of black retribution; a large time has elapsed between that day when the forces of humanity found themselves irrevocably under siege by the forces of hatred and violence but the wounds still remain - green as ever, fresh as ever….

Bombay had been terminally ill since December 6, 1992 but it had shown some signs of recovery. That was not to be; the merchants of Death were determined that the most cosmopolitan city, this side of Suez would be laid to rest and succeed they did - at the hands of some of it's own children

Dil Ke Phaphaule Jal Utthey Seene Ke Daagh Se
Iss Ghar Ko Aag Lag Gayee Ghar Ke Chiragh Se

It's befitting that Bombay was soon rechristened Mumbai for Bombay as we know died on March 12, 1993.

The agony still surfaces and the memories still hurt. It has been a good time since that dreaded day, that black incident but still, the faces of those who were blown apart and of those who lay on the streets, drenched in blood, writhing in pain, blank eyes staring at you, looking for a support that could not be given, asking questions that could not be answered, searching for a family that had been devastated and crying for a future that had suddenly vanished cannot be forgotten. Even today, many eyes wake up with a horrifying vision, many silent nights are broken by a shrill cry of agony; many bodies wakes up shivering with sweat all over..... sadly March 12, 1993 refuses to leave the collective conscience of a devastated dream!

It's said in the Ramayana that Lord Ram’s vanvaas lasted only 14 years; we only can wait and wonder how long will our’s last!

When will Bombay return back to it's pristine beauty? Will there ever be any harmony? Will the wounds close down someday?

Nothing has been the same since that day or in fact since the day Babri Masjid was pulled down.. there have been so many jolted reminders of the fury that was unleashed on that day – it was the day when terrorism in the form of coldblooded revenge first unfurled it’s ugly head in India and as I write this post today, I see it everywhere – in Jaipur, in Bangalore, in Ahmedabad, everywhere…. Bombay, then was correctly the first casualty of the battlelines that were drawn between peace and hatred and one day I think will be the last battlefield where the battle for peace and humanity shall be fought.

Black Friday is an honest attempt, without taking sides or condemning any one particular religion, to capture on celluloid the days when love and friendship broke down on religious differences, when the religion of the man was more important than his character, when everyman looked at every other man with naked suspicion, when for the first time, being a Muslim was being equivalent to being a terrorist; when for the first time, being Hindu was equivalent to being a rioter… when all Bombayites, whether Hindus or Muslims lived under the shadow of riots and the fear of death…. When the principle of ‘an eye for an eye’ was first put to effect in the megapolis and the reputation of Bombay as a melting pot of all religions, communities, castes and creeds came under severe fire from it’s own denizens. Black Friday is a faithful account of the day Bombay died and no one was sane enough to mourn it's death...

As Sahir once wrote:

Meri Duniya Loot Rahi Thi Aur Main Khamosh Tha

Tukde Tukde Dil Ke Choonta Kisko Itna Hosh Tha

Black Friday is different in that it not only looks at the disease that pervaded Bombay but also points out to what were the causes of the disease. It does not stop at examining the symptoms but also fearlessly counts the germs that caused the infirmity... so we do not have only the Bombay Bomb blasts but also a reference to the the destruction of the Babri Masjid, the majority riots of Dec 1992 and Jan 1993 and finally the retaliatory minority bomb blasts of March 93, all woven in the same fabric.

Kay Kay Menon in the role of DCP Rakesh Maria is clinically efficient. He brings to the role a quiet sobriety and a dignity that enables you to relate with the travails of the police force, ill equipped with dealing with terrorists. When you actually look at the performance of this multi-faceted actor, there are times when you can feel his discomfort at being forced to adopt inhuman tactics to ensure that the interrogation yields results but also appreciate his firm resolve to get it resolved.

I was impressed by his performance in the scene he squirms in his seat, uncomfortable with the interrogation techniques used by his subordinates but also quite practically clear that the investigation can only function on these lines and none other. I was flabbergasted at his choice of dialogue and deep-throated angst in the scene where he gives a piece of his mind to Badshah Khan, one of the prime involved in the Bomb Blasts. The force of his dialogue is mind-blowing "Chootiya Banaaya Tereko Unn Logon Ne" I do not think any other actor could have brought the cool maturity to the role as delineated by Kay Kay.

Pawan Malhotra is mind-blowing in his depiction of Tiger Memon. He does the role with such a conviction and deep understanding that whenever he speaks of destruction, your bone is chilled to the core. There is a scene in the movie that shows his ruthlessness - Badshah Khan comes to him with a go-between. Pawan is sitting on a diwan and using a toothpick to clean his teeth. Casually, almost nonchalantly, he looks at Badshah and asks him, "Dangon Mein Kitney Hinduoon Ko Maara?"

My God! That's really something different!

Another scene that never fails to impress me - Tiger Memon standing up against the skyline of a proud Bombay, promising bloody retribution to the city that brought him up and gave him his livelihood.... I am IMPRESSED!

Here is an actor who can storm the citadels of performance but who has failed to get worth in this star-crazed world of ours. Sadly, this appears to be the trend in Indian Cinema where star sons and daughters become superstars and real talent languishes in the gutters.

Aditya Srivastava is another brilliant actor in his prime. The role of Badshah Khan required a subtlety and a vulnerability to argument as well as a deep, almost fanatical regard to religion while still retaining the face of innocence that’s almost a given among hardened members of a cult. Any over-acting or false note of performance would have jarred the characterization and destroyed the essence of the film. Aditya ensures that the film maintains it’s tempo by chiseling out a well-paced performance.

Watch him for the scenes when he is on the run and suddenly manages to see a girl on a crowded bus - the eyes show a sort of hunger that can only be seen in the eyes of a predator who can only size up the prey but not be able to eat it. Equally brilliant is the scene where he tries to put forth his point to the DCP, in an attempt of false bravado, knowing fully well that his cause is a defeated one and he has been betrayed by those who used him without compunction.

Kishore Kadam as Dangle plays the common policeman of Bombay - one you could meet on the streetsto perfection. The ruthlessness and utter disregard for the accused as well as the manic energy and intensity that he displays while interrogating them is so well disguised by a soft exterior that one only shudders at the thought of being alone in the same cell as him.

He is well assisted by Dibyendu Bhattacharya as Yeda Yakub and Gajraj Rao as Dawood Phanse. Vijay Maurya is so convincing as Dawood Ibrahim that one gets goose bumps watching him perform. Zakir Hussein as Nand Kumar Chowghale is another actor that impresses you; although his role is not that well etched. Arbaaz Ali Khan as Jaaved Chiknaa acts well, but is nowhere in the league of his illustrious father, the indomitable Ajit. Bobby as Khurana is commendable.

A round of applause for S Hussein Zaidi for his pain-staking and meticulous research of the taboo subject and kudos to Anurag Kashyap for having the guts and confidence to put it on celluloid in the docu-drama format. I would not hasten to add that ‘Black Friday’ captures the essence of the book completely and is an excellent riposte to those who think Indians cannot make a riveting journalistic drama based on facts.

The director shows a complete command over the medium… he has taken care to portray Bombay as it was in 1993. Even the scenes show a complete departure from normal cinematic lore and a total identification with the real world. So we have obese constables panting and unable to keep pace with a slippery fugitive - at times pleading with him to stop running; a DCP uncomfortable with the interrogation tactics employed by his subordinates trying to look away from the hammer that’s smashing a hand but maintaining a tacit approval of the techniques applied, a fugitive underworld Don opening up a gift package to find broken bangles accusing him and shaming him at his inability to save women under his protection, a burkha-clad woman being abducted gang-raped by some miscreants at a bridge, an old man shying away from the police with dead terror in his eyes, a man lying shell-shocked among the bomb blasts while another man steals a gold chain from a dead body, stunned bloodstained men with bloodshot eyes walking on actual pools of blood and Tiger Memon staring at Bombay’s skyline and crying vengeance. All these scenes have an impact on the viewer and the impact stays.

In 2006, the trial of the Bombay blasts finally came to an end and the ones responsible for the blasts were judged as per the law of the land but the causes of the blast has still not been given the attention it deserves nor have those who indulged in the riots been punished for their role in the riots… thus the cycle of hatred and suspicion continues. Bombay has since become Mumbai and has borne silently and stoically the impact of many more such retaliatory terror attacks but the fabric of the city has long been tarnished and the faith in Man long eroded.

The impact of this widening gulf has been so deep that Naseeruddin Shah and Irrfan Khan, two leading actors with exceptional acting prowess refused to reprise the roles of Tiger Memon and Badshah Khan - fearing that it may lead to complications in their own lives!

Nothing has been gained but all has been lost and the menace of hatred has slowly engulfed the country as the diktat of an eye of an eye has made all of us blind and incapable of understanding that we ourselves are to be blamed for our sorry state of affairs.

For those who do not understand the implications of this event in the history of terrorism, let me remind that this singular incident that was not given it's due attention took place long before 9/11 rocked New York, 10/12 rocked Bali, 3/11 rocked Madrid and 7/7 rocked London!

By the way, we never met again … Plaza had been bombed….Black Friday had taken its toll.