A WEDNESDAY: A taut thriller with its heart at the right place

DIRECTOR: Neeraj Pandey
STARRING: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Deepal Shaw, Aamir Bashir

REVIEW: 'A Wednesday', directed by first-time director Neeraj Pandey, is a daring film. Short and to the point, this movie is a must-watch for every movie buff. The characters are well-developed, and ones you can relate with. It is heartening to see that directors today are making films on topics that were left untouched earlier.
The story is narrated by Mumbai Police Commissioner Prakash Rathore (Anupam Kher), on the last day of his service, before retirement. He describes a certain Wednesday, when an anonymous caller (Naseeruddin Shah) calls him up and threatens to blow up Mumbai if his demands are not fulilled. His demands: the release of four highly dangerous terrorists caught and put behind the bars by the police. The film traces all the events that follow, and how Rathore and his top policemen cope with the situation.
'A Wednesday' works because it succeeds where many others have failed: talking in context to the aam junta. The film tells of the plight and sufferings of the common man on the advent of the terrorrist attack that rip apart the lives of thousands of people every now and then. Its actually an anger-discharge of the common people on the police, on the government, as they have had enough of these atacks, and if nothing is done to safeguard them, it will be up to them to clean-up the filth.
The director tells his his story with masterly perfection. He envelopes his message inside an engrossing plot, and an otherwise excellent thriller. Neeraj Pandey is one director to watch out for in the future.
All the cast delivers top-notch performances, especially Naseeruddin Shah, who handles his character with a seasoned ease. He is one of the most talented actors of our time, and this performance only supports this assumption. Anupan Kher also follows suit, and handles his on-screen counterpart with amazing perfection. Jimmy Shergill acts spectacularly as a hardened cop, who is often misjudged and distrusted by his seniors as well as colleagues due to his Muslim tag.
The plot has minor flaws which can be neglected as they are out-weighed by the amazing performances, enlightening message and power-packed thrilling scenes. This one is highly recommended.

REVIEW: A deserving 4/5 for decent plot, great acting, and ingenious message.