Mumbai Meri Jaan - A Review

BANG .. BANG. A blast rips through the first class compartment of an evening Mumbai local train. People are ejected while the train is still in motion. Some crash onto the poles adjoining the tracks, some are burnt, some are electrolocuted. Bodies are charred and limbs are amputated. Moments later there is chaos. But, every person there is alone in a state of shock. This scene hit me like a thunderbolt. We read it in the newspapers everyday. But, seeing those visuals right in front of you as it happens is chilling. The irony of my own situation is obvious. Here I am sitting in a multiplex supposedly having a "good time", while the tragic events at a location less the 200 km away unfold on the screen.

The movie follows the lives of a middle class professional (Madhavan), a journalist (Soha Ali Khan), an unemployed right-leaning youth (Kay Kay Menon) and a disgruntled voice from Mumbai's underbelly (Irrfan Khan) in the aftermath of the blasts. There is nothing spectacular or thought provoking about the narrative, save for the Irrfan's story (which give a peek into what can drive people to terror). It simply follows the lives of these people. The harsh reality of terror is there in front of our eyes. The movie just gives us a moment to stop and feel the agony of those who have suffered at the hands of terror. Paresh Rawal again does a great act as the disillusioned Mumbai policeman, and his monologue at the climax, about the "spirit of Mumbai", is the soul of the movie.

In this age of poop-movies, few movies are made which highlight suffering of a average person. This is one attempt. Watch it.