THIS MONDAY, GO SEE ” A WEDNESDAY”

Rating 4/5

The Mumbai Commissioner of Police is having a regular day at the office, when his cell-phone rings, but the caller’s number cannot be identified. A cool, calm, literally chilling voice gives him clear instructions; release four deadly terrorists lodged in different jails, or Mumbai will witness a repeat of 1993 serial blasts. To ensure that the flabbergasted Commissioner does not think he is just a cranky prankster, the man has already planted RDX in the police offices itself already as tangible evidence of his prowess. There are 5 more black bags interspersed all over the city, including the crowded Churchgate station, filled with deadly explosives. There are just 4 hours to go. Leaving hardly any time for negotiations, and using modern technology to the hilt, the terrorist knows he has the entire state machinery under his formidable thumb, blackballed into submission. Does the Commissioner catapult or does the master-mind make a last-minute slip? Do the military commandos do a surprise daredevilry of an attack ? Or does everything flow in a smooth operation? That’s what you must see A Wednesday to find out. As minutes tick by, the tension mounts, and the end finale looks certain to have a bloody end. But how? Just then there is a dramatic twist, almost out of the blue, which debutant director Neeraj Pandey skillfully executes to flawless perfection. It will leave you thinking, and thinking real hard.

There are gripping moments, best manifested by the ability of a canny man who cannot be tracked down, and the fact that the Chief Minister and the Commissioner are hesitant to go public with the trade-off, despite exposing thousands of innocent citizens to grave risk. Anupam Kher as the chief cop exudes the aura of a mature veteran who can handle a crisis without pressing the panic buttons. He performs with panache and passion , giving the Commissioner not just a hard-boiled streak, but also a human one. Jimmy Shergill as the stone-faced mission-obsessed inspector speaks a thousand words without being heard, letting his expressions do the needful. Deepal Shaw plays the TV journalist, young, TRP driven and always ready to hit the dirt tracks at the slightest opportunity with near-perfect mannerisms.

Naseeruddin Shah, as the wily devil who orchestrates the devious plot is as usual—-brilliant. Watch his solo rendition at the end; without any great melodrama , he delivers the message, which hours after you have left the theatre, will stay with you.

I have deliberately kept the twister concealed for your viewing benefit.

Go make a Wednesday of this Monday.