Masand's Verdict: Any day, watch A Wednesday

CLASS APART: Naseeruddin Shah's greatness as an actor is evident in the way he performs.

ibnlive.com is on mobile now. Read news, watch videos
be a Citizen Journalist. Log on to m.ibnlive.com NOW!

Related Stories

• Masand's Verdict: A Wednesday | Tahaan | Hijack | More…

• Masand's Verdict: Dhoom Dadakka, a juvenile flick

• Sarkar Raj special: IIFA premiere pics | Masand's Verdict

Top Headlines

Top Videos

Most Popular

• India unprepared against terror threats: PM 

• Chidambaram sets two goals to fight terrorism 

• Pak 'official agencies' likely involved in Mumbai strike: PM 

• Girl abducted from outside mall in Noida, alleges rape 

• War on Terror: Israel's the way to go with Pak? 

• Four terrorists dead, Poonch encounter far from over 

• Sania says she's fit, ready for Hong Kong tournament 

• Bush blames Hamas, backs Israeli offensive in Gaza 

• Aamir, SRK save 2008; all eyes on Akshay now 

• Is Bollywood jinxed for younger sisters?  

• Chidambaram sets two goals to fight terrorism 

• India unprepared against terror threats: PM 

• Pak defiant, says Kasab's letter not authentic 

• Watch: Children suffer as Gaza-Israel fight it out  

• Transporters on strike demand bailout plan from Govt 

• War on Terror: Israel's the way to go with Pak? 

• Nun identifies rapists, Orissa starts healing process 

• Pashuptinath row continues, priests carry campaigns  

• Sania says she's fit, ready for Hong Kong tournament 

• Watch: Online dating sites booming in recession 

• War on Terror: Israel's the way to go with Pak? 

• Girl abducted from outside mall in Noida, alleges rape 

• Pak defiant, says Kasab's letter not authentic 

• Pak plans own dossier to counter India's charge 

• Pak 'official agencies' likely involved in Mumbai strike: PM 

• India unprepared against terror threats: PM 

• Chidambaram sets two goals to fight terrorism 

• Is Bollywood jinxed for younger sisters?  

• Bush blames Hamas, backs Israeli offensive in Gaza 

• Nepalese students protest temple appointments 

Photogallery

Find us on Facebook | Join IBNLive community

Stay ahead with G-Talk Buddy | Click now!

It's difficult to explain just how good A Wednesday is without giving away too much about the film. Because believe me, it's a film best seen without any impressions. It's a film whose charm lies in its unraveling.

The film stars Anupam Kher as Mumbai's Police Commissioner Prakash Rathore who receives a phone call from an anonymous person (played by Naseeruddin Shah) demanding the release of four militants, failing which he threatens to set off a series of bombs across the city.

The veracity of the caller's claims is confirmed when he leads the cops to a bomb he has already planted in a nearby police station. Unable to trace the caller or his location, the authorities decide to hand over the militants instead of watching Mumbai burn.

Written and directed by Neeraj Pandey, A Wednesday is an engaging thriller with a twist that's more dramatic and unpredictable than anything you're likely to imagine.

Films about terrorists holding a city to ransom aren't new. It's a theme that's been exploited many times over in the movies, especially in standard Hollywood action films like the Die Hard series.

What elevates A Wednesday from your average action thriller is the fact that it comes loaded with a very solid ideology - there's more to this film than just a race against time to save a city. It's well-intended and makes its point emphatically.

Dissecting the film in further detail would amount to giving away too much, and that's a crime you don't want me to commit. A Wednesday may not be a perfect film - there are clichés that could have been easily avoided, and you may or may not agree with the moral decision in the end - but the film still makes a very important point, and does it bravely, so you're willing to overlook its handful of flaws.

The director assembles an ensemble of fine actors who perform their roles competently - Anupam Kher as the conflicted Commissioner, Naseeruddin Shah as the anonymous caller, Aamir Bashir as one of the two younger cops assigned the job of transporting the militants to the designated spot, and finally Jimmy Shergill as the other young cop, hot-blooded and impulsive.

It's Shergill who shines in this film with a performance that is measured and meticulous. It's the most 'showy' of all roles in this film and the other actors allow Shergill to steal the film. Meanwhile, Naseeruddin Shah's greatness as an actor is evident just in the manner in which he doesn't draw any special attention to his performance even though he's the film's most central character.

The real hero of A Wednesday however, is writer-director Neeraj Pandey who makes an assured, confident debut with a film that truly pushes the envelope. I'm going with four out of five for A Wednesday, it's a film you'll find hard to get out of your head days after you've left the cinema. At last a film that has the power to change how we look at the world.

Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)