A Wednesday (thriller)
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Aamir Bashir
Direction: Neeraj Pandey
Critics rating:

BOLLYWOOD'S already proved itself in the brawn department, having won itself umpteen brawny points for its high testosterone action dramas. Now, it seems hell-bent on showing off brains too, with slick, thought-provoking movies pouring out of its IQ-enhanced factories. A Wednesday is an intelligent diatribe against terrorism, refreshingly packaged as a racy thriller, reminiscent of the Diehard series. In fact, the teen hacker who claims to be a college drop-out by choice and ends up helping the technologically challenged cops to nab the cyber-savvy bomber is a straight take-off from Diehard 4 .

Doesn't matter. Because, despite the repeated reference to terrorism which seems to have become the pet theme today, A Wednesday is one of the most original dramas on aaj ka burning issue. Naseeruddin Shah essays the role of a mysterious bomber, who suddenly gets sick of living his life in fear and decides to teach everyone a lesson. His target: Mumbai, with the jailed ‘jihadis' and the pulverised Mumbai cops who seem to be on bended knees when it comes to an effective counter-terror policy. He packs a flask of tea, a box of sandwiches, buys vegetables for his wife, tells her he'll be home soon and then gets down to business -- with precision and savoir faire -- on the roof of an unfinished building which oversees entire Mumbai. The police commissioner Anupam Kher is asked to release four terrorists or else Mumbai would go up in flames. The rest is sheer dynamite!

One might quibble with the fascist end of the film where the rule of law is given a go-by. But hey, can terrorism and the death of innocent people ever be justified. The climax is an absolute knock-out with an accolade-winning speech by Naseer who becomes a flag-bearer for all those nameless, ordinary people battling with this modern-day scourge, the world over. The highpoint of the film is the class act by the two stalwarts of the industry: Naseer and Anupam pitch in riveting performances as the shuffling, seemingly inconsequential, nameless bomber and the no-nonsense cop. Add to this some finely nuanced acts by Jimmy Shergill and Aamir Bashir and you have a topical, gritty, high-adrenalin drama. Don't miss it.

Raed Indiatimes review