Black Friday
Producer: Arindam Mitra
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Starring: Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Pavan Malhotra, Pratima Kazmi, Vijay Maurya, Gajraj Rao
Music: Indian Ocean

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Genre: Drama
Recommended Audience: Parental Guidance
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Released in: 2005
Approximate Running Time: 161 Minutes Reviewed by: Vijay Venkataramanan
Reviewer's Rating: 10 out of 10
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Cumulative Rating: 7 out of 10
Rated by: 18 unique users
Enter your Rating: 1 out of 10 2 out of 10 3 out of 10 4 out of 10 5 out of 10 6 out of 10 7 out of 10 8 out of 10 9 out of 10 10 out of 10
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On Friday, March 12, 1993, Mumbai, then known as Bombay was rocked by serial bomb blasts in its most densely populated areas. More than 250 innocent people died and hundreds more were injured. As fingers were pointed and law enforcement investigated the cause, Hussain Zaidi researched and documented the proceedings in tremendous detail in a book published two years ago. Based on the same book, Anurag Kashyap’s “Black Friday”, which is struggling for an Indian theatrical release against the wishes of the Supreme Court of India, is not just a gutsy, gritty, and mind-boggling adaptation, but is also one of the finest films to come out of the Indian film industry in recent years.

As a writer and director, Kashyap tells his story unconventionally, breaking numerous cinematic norms, using a strong Cinema Verite style. The most unconventional aspect of the film certainly is the lack of a central protagonist. This forces Kashyap to juggle several points of view including those of Inspector Rakesh Maria (Kay Kay Menon), accused gangsters Dawood Ibrahim (Vijay Maurya), Tiger Memon (Pavan Malhotra), Dawood Phanse (Gajraj Rao), and their pawn Baadshah Khan (Aditya Srivastava). Given the Herculean task of effectively developing all these viewpoints and characters within temporal constraints, Kashyap emerges victorious, doing justice to them all, skillfully narrating the stories in a moderately paced episodic structure.

Realism has always been Anurag Kashyap’s forte, as is exemplified by his writing in Ramgopal Varma’s “Satya”, “Kaun”, and “Shool”. Now in the director’s chair, he takes his penchant for realism to more pronounced and captivating levels, manipulating the audience, placing them in the heat of the action on certain occasions, and relegating them into a voyeuristic viewpoint on others. Aarti Bajaj’s editing dexterously enables the director to develop this style, uncharacteristically holding longer on Cinematographer Nataraja Subramaniam’s wide, high angle crane shots, particularly during Maria’s investigations. Subramaniam coats the frame in heavy brown and red tones, bordering on a monochromatic, sepiaesque feel. The use of grainy stock and hand-held shots also add to the gritty tone of the film. Holding the realism of the film together is the superior quality of performance from a very low-profile cast. The immensely talented Kay Kay Menon and Aditya Srivastava excel in their respective roles, while Vijay Maurya’s resemblance to underworld don and international terrorist Dawood Ibrahim is shocking.

Despite such strong vision and treatment, “Black Friday’s” directorial voice is subtle and takes the form of an undertone. This in fact works to the film’s advantage as viewers are fed numerous facts and events unfolding constantly, the final judgment left to their intelligence to pass. The only didactic interference from Kashyap occurs in the closing montage of stills and documentary footage from the 1993 bombings and riots, set to Indian Ocean’s phenomenal track, “Bandeh”.

Despite clearance from the Indian censor board, the Supreme Court of India has held “Black Friday’s” theatrical release for fear of this powerful film influencing the sentence that is yet to be passed on the case: a ludicrous excuse, considering Zaidi’s book has already been publicly accessible for over two years. After a Golden Leopard nomination at the Locarno International Film Festival and winning the Special Jury Award for best feature at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles this year, one hopes that international distributors notice this highly significant film and give it its much deserved opportunity at the box office.

N.B. This writer viewed “Black Friday” at its Los Angeles premiere during the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.


**When did it release finally?

Any DVD info?

Ali

I hope it gets a theatrical release in the US. I've been waiting for this one.

This guy compares it to Battle of Algiers, which is an incredible film.


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/re ... 1000911190

May 05, 2005

Black Friday
By Kirk Honeycutt


Bottom line: A superb and devastating piece of cinema.

Anurag Kashyap's "Black Friday" is a superb and devastating piece of cinema that with justification can be compared favorably to Gillo Pontocorvo's classic "The Battle of Algiers" in its dispassionate yet sweeping journalistic inquiry into cataclysmic social and political events. While the events described may seem remote to some American viewers, our current encounter with modern-day terrorism gives "Black Friday" a clarion immediacy.

The focus is bombings that rocked Mumbai (then Bombay), India, over several hours March 12, 1993. The film starts moments before the first blast, a brilliant tour-de-force of cinematic energy, suspense and compassion for the victims. The use of slow motion and crane shots gives the viewer a almost God-like view of the carnage that transpires in his name.

After the chaos, which the film shows without lurid sensationalism, the movie follows the police inquiry into the Muslim gang responsible, whose gangster leader is already safely hiding in Dubai. Working from a book by Hussain Zaidi, writer-director Kashyap tracks back and forth in time to fill a viewer in on the personalities involved. It examines the communal rioting that took place the previous December in which mobs, incited by irresponsible Hindu religious leaders, destroyed an ancient mosque sacred to Islam and brutally attacked Muslims in an orgy of rape, murder and mayhem.

Kashyap refuses to judge any of the players. He is simply determined to show viewers what ruthlessness can be performed by people in the name of ego, religion and ethnicity. The closest the film comes to a judgment is an outburst by the leading police investigator in which he condemns anyone who destroys lives in the name of God.

What makes this film so controversial in India -- causing its director to say he doesn't know when the film may get seen there -- is that "Black Friday" names names. There is no fictionalization of the book, no changes in names or imaginary characters. So for once, Indian politicians, gangsters and police are all on the same side: No one wants "Black Friday" to get a release.

The film, which won the jury prize at the recent Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, next plays at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Very nice indeed. I want to see this - even a DVD will suffice. is this available on bollywood torrents etc ??

Nowrunning.com seems to have movie stills up ( http://www.nowrunning.com/comingsoon/sl ... vieNo=2010 )
perhaps it is going to get released ??













anyways looking forward to this one

Official site http://www.blackfridaythemovie.com/

A VCD rip of this was posted a while ago on bwtorrents.com:

http://www.bwtorrents.com/showthread.php?t=9021

Not sure about a DVD release - I don't think this has had a proper theatrical release yet.

Thanks Bro - I am starting the download right now, hopefully I can get the full movie downloaded .

Thanks for the link. I'll probably download it and if a DVD isn't released, I'll watch the VCD rip.

BTW, I downloaded BitTorrent a few days ago and just finished downloading season 2 of Arrested Development, taken from the HD broadcast. It isn't quite DVD quality but the quality is acceptable until the DVD is released.

Reviewed by: Aakash Gandhi
Reviewer's Rating: 9 out of 10
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Cumulative Rating: 8 out of 10
Rated by: 1 unique users
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"While making this film, the idea was to achieve objectivity, not point fingers. It is time to explore how and why things happened." - Anurag Kashyap

Friday, March 12th, 1993. Twelve powerful bombs ravaged the city of Mumbai. The terror of that hellish day left 257 people killed and over 1,400 wounded. As fingers pointed, arrests pursued, and riots exploded, all boundaries were crossed to make way for a chase that will span two decades; a chase that continues till this very day. The horror will never leave India’s history and will be remembered by one and all as…Black Friday.

Anurag Kashyap is the man behind the scene, and what a scene it is! Director of the controversial film Panch, which has yet to see the light of day, Kashyap’s adaptation of S. Hussain Zaidi’s book, Black Friday, digs deep into the rubble to unearth the truth of what happened that horrific Friday twelve years ago.

"We looked up photographs and documentaries. More than just destroyed buildings, I wanted to see personal losses, the pain, and show that to the audience. We also interviewed blast victims, and people who still work outside [The Bombay] Stock Exchange and passport offices [where the blasts occurred]." - Anurag Kashyap

Controversy is Kashyap’s middle name. Although his script in Satya won him critical acclaim, his directorial debut, Paanch, was hammered by the censor boards for its steamy exposures. Keep in mind that this is in early 2003, the Pre-Jism Era. But when compared to Black Friday, Paanch must have been a smooth ride. Basically, the Indian High Court upheld a stay order on the film on March 31st earlier this year, saying that the film pre-judges, or passes judgment, on the accused. The film cannot release until the trial courts hold the hearing and reach a final verdict. Whether we agree or not, Kashyap and Arindam Mitra (the film’s producer) have no choice but to await judgment day…

However, until then, let’s focus on an aspect of the film that hasn’t received opposition, nor its deserved recognition. The music of Black Friday is the voice of not only the victims, but also the voice of the predators…it’s the eulogy of Black Friday.

"Our first album (Indian Ocean) was released in December 1993. Second album (Desert Rain) came out in March 1997 and the third, in March 2000. Therefore, on an average, we come up with one new album every 3.25 years. As for the next one, patience, all in the fullness of time!"- Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean is an incredible four-member band that has enthralled music lovers all over India for the past twelve years (coincidentally, they began their music careers the same year as the Bombay Blasts). Liquefying Indian rhythms and classical folk with rock, reggae, and jazz to create amazing music, they have composed three albums, Kandisa, Desert Rain, and Indian Ocean. Making their foray into the Film Industry, they have taken on the task of creating an emotional and passionate soundtrack for an even more impassioned film.

"The minute it´s blended, it obviously doesn´t remain pure, but I think purity is all in the mind. What is needed is openness to experiment and to leave the rules by the wayside. Also, you need to respect compositions of other artists you are working with. So, yes, blending is possible. Everybody is fusing everything with everything these days, and so, let´s expect to hear many good things come out. Actually I think Hindi film music is fusion at its best. It´s become a whole genre by itself." - Indian Ocean

Bande is sensational! Known as the man with the golden voice, Asheem Chakravarty infuses unbelievable passion into this amazingly different piece. Known for their inept skill with percussions and the guitar, Indian Ocean crosses all boundaries and passes into the realm of musical ingenuity at its finest. As the piece reaches its climax, the band raises the tempo and lets Susmit Sen, the talented guitarist, render the electric guitar with style and emotion. Piyush Mishra’s lyrics are completely unconventional and insightful into that ashy day in 1993.

Bharam Baap Ke is the soothing result of invincible fusion! That’s what their known best for: their unmatched skill of superimposing Indian folk/Classical with other musical genres. Although it’s percussion haven once again in this piece, the guitar takes the cake. Vocals are at their finest, and melody stands apart from the rest of the piece. Piyush Mishra’s lyrics accompany the composition beautifully. His words are a cry out to the world of destruction and violence. "Jung ka rang sunhera samjha. Lekin baat mein gehra samjha. Jung ka rang hai kaala re."

Baadshah In Jail is a musical masterpiece! Indian Ocean deserve yet another standing ovation after this spectacular score. Everything is working for this track, from its creative percussion based rhythms to its melody, from it’s vocal brilliance to its emotion-evoking lyrics. I must warn you though. Midway through the song, you’re going to be gripping the sides of your seats, as this one is going to be a musical frenzy!

The following six tracks are the six instrumentals that complete the sound of Black Friday.

Opening (Pre Blast) is electrifying! As this score races on, you know exactly why it’s called what it is. The anticipation of something terrible rings loud in the drummer’s grip. The fear of havoc sounds loud in the woodwind instrument. Hold on…something’s about to go Boom!

Bomb Planting is definitely filled with class and a different style, but it’s not as engaging as its predecessors. An oboe like woodwind fills itself in this mellow piece and is what makes this track less engaging, but not less enjoyable. Once again, fusion is the name of the game here.

Memon House is the signature piece of Indian Ocean. It is their trademark piece because it brings Jazz and Rock into the eastern music scene, which is what these four guys are all about. A great piano-filled rhythm infiltrates the piece throughout. A sweet sounding Soprano Sax oozes over the music and hovers nicely over the light rock ballad. Eastern elements begin to show when the vocal alaaps take part in the fun. All in all, this is a prime example of Indian Ocean’s unique capabilities.

RDX is unique in its very composition. Indian Ocean starts this one off with a synthesized vibraphone like sound, which works to their advantage due its appeal in sound texture. Once again they infuse eastern elements (alaap) with western elements (rock ballad), to create another original score. Although it pails in comparison to some of the other instrumentals, it is a pleasant sounding piece to listen to.

Training continues the trend of creativity shown by Indian Ocean. Drums steal the show here as the four put together a marching rhythm that is intertwined with a rock ballad. With a rich texture in the guitar and some Religious chants throughout the piece, this one can afford to be heard numerous times. Once again, this one doesn’t reach the peaks, but it does soar high.

Chase - Percussions Galore! Honestly, I would be robbing you of your pleasure if I sat here and gave you a laundry list of all the instruments/percussions used in this piece. Nonetheless, the band amazes with their ability to toss percussions around like they were bowling pins, creating the most awe-inspiring result! To add to the originality (as if they needed more of it), they play around with some vocal sounds….and all I can say is Wow! Listen to this one for yourself.

One man saw and felt the brutality of Black Friday, and four men heard it. Hear what Indian Ocean heard. Be a believer in fusion composition. All we, along with Anurag Kashyap, can do is wait for judgment day before we can witness the cinematic documentation of this historic day. But don’t wait to hear what Indian Ocean heard. Witness Black Friday…Listen to its cry.


**Quality stuff!! for only Right kinda people, not leftist!

Just finished watching the film and comparisons to Battle of Algiers is perfectly warranted. As memories of the blast and the destruction of the masjid fades..., here comes a movie that objectively looks back - it is a fine example of cinema verte. This film also reminds me of Oliver stone's JFK - totally engaging and objective.

The VCD print is bad (thanks bhaskar for the link) and has numerous interruptions (ads for toffees, serials etc.) but since this is the only print that’s currently available I have no complaints. I also have a feeling the VCD is edited ( ran for 143 mins including ads , while the movie is listed as 160 mins !). I am going to email criterion as part of their suggestions program - this one demands respect and a good release

I recommend this 'film' to everyone interested in "serious" cinema; Kashyap is a director to reckon with.

Thumps Way Way Up from me

BTW - the background score from indian ocean perfectly compliments the pacing and i love the soundtrack also.

I suggested this title to Criterion. Got an automated response, but they read all the title suggestions. I'd encourage others to do so also.

I did the same, perhaps we can also start an online petition and submit it to criterion. I hope more and more people see the film and join the effort.

Should we start one at http://www.petitiononline.com/ ??

I've just e-mailed Criterion about Black Friday. Also, lets get the awarness of this film also at this site - http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/ (this site is closely monitered by Criterion). dvdisoil, you wanna go ahead and start a discussion there?

That’s a great suggestion - I will do it ( though it has to wait till weekend ), will update further soon.

You'd be hard pressed to get Criterion to get this in their collection; they very rarely touch new movies. I’d love to watch this move on a decent DVD, hope one appears soon.

Ali