A wednesday – a 90 minute thriller –really.
So when I picked up the DVd from the local grocery store for viewing, my wife asked me what kinda movie it was. Rarely has she seen me renting a Hindi DVD. I told her that it is supposed to be a ‘thriller’.
The next question was ‘who are there in it?’ I told ‘Naseer and Anupam’.
The reaction was something of a suggestion that I go have my head checked soon for what is an action thriller in Hindi which is so oxymoronically devoid of six pack stunt team of Sunil Shetty or Hrithik or any of the usual suspects.
After 2 hours, the reactions were that of pleasnt surprise.
A wednesday is a surprising film – for it relies purely on the script to generate enough plot twists and motion . The script and acting are so nicely done that the low budget and some cliches dont grow to be mountains to distract from the central theme of the movie. The movie deserves all the appreciation it deserves and probably some more for having eschewed the regular format of songs and sentiment and for having a focus purely on the plot and characters. When I see anupam kher play with a lot of poise and dignity the role of the commissioner of police playing a cat and mouse with the intelligent terrorist with some demands (Naseer) I was reminded of the movie “Taking of Pelham One two and three“ which had the ageing walter matheaw in the lead. I was amused when I saw that movie as to how people would have received when the director announced “I am making an action movie with Walter Matheau”. However great artistes transcend their ‘format’ roles and bring something that mechanical faced ’six packers’ cant do. That is precisely what Anupam brought to his role.
Naseer on the other hand plays mostly himself and the role with all its shades is an exagerration – something unreal. However Naseer brings out his elegant and believable self that sells the role to us right when we are awake. We would have cringed at the ‘fantastic’ nature of this character if it were played by any other regular actor. However Naseer – (he could sell refrigerators to eskimos and room heaters to chenniites) , notthing of that sort ever happens and we are drawn to the movie simply awestruck at the powerful actor on the prowl. All the minor technical glitches evaporate out of sight with these two actors literally ping ponging our attention between themselves – keeping us focussed on the topic.
Debutante director Neeraj Pandey’s work can put most of the highly overpaid senior directors to shame. The scenes fall out one after another in a logical fashion seamlessly and the character introductions are also throughly done. Another delightful thing is crowd control – there is no character who is under utilized or present without any reason. However the top marks go to the “dialogues” of this movie – very precise and the climax exchanges are simply awesome and delicious and the way they have been delivered by the actors and the way the little back stories have been revealed during the lengthy exchange over the phone is simply delicious.
I personally liked the writing behind the Jimmy Shergill character that was so usual and expeected – yet likeable and well presented. Other artistes – some known TV faces and some unknown played their part rather well. All in all a very mature thriller that marks the change of the trend in the new crop of Bollywood who seem to have learnt the utility in rewarding their original writing skills rather than music video making and DVD copying skills.
A thoroughly enjoyable 90 minute thriller – expecting more like this…
ps: the central theme of ‘the common man’s anger’ is presented without the loudness that is usually present in the message oriented movies and that in itself is intelligent and worth the round of applause.
Tags: A Wednesday, Anupam Kher, naseeruddin shah, Neeraj Pandey
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Is the DVD for “A Wednesday’ out or have you seen the pirated one. I am praying that it is the former one:-)
Fabulous movie, would rate this as one of the best this year so far.
@neeraj
This DVD that I rented seemed to be the original with all the proper menus – But I couldn’t tell – the print was very good so I guess it must be original and not a theatre print.
Jaiganesh/Ratnakar,
Please explain this to me!
During the briefing given to the top officials/ commissioner, at the end of show reel Naseer’s face is shown albeit in hidden frames, AND the police character “talks” about it.
Now if the common man and his show was a surprise, how could he end up in the show reel? Isn’t that cheating the audiences rather than smartly “fooling” them? I will explain. If we the audiences by ourselves were to think, or assume that Naseer is indeed the CEO because of some sharp editing or skillful screenplay, and later get fooled, the director is to be lauded or whatever. BUT when a character in the movie who “shouldn’t” be knowing Naseer talks about him, isn’t that manipulation or cheating? The intention is good but is the technique right? ( referring to the director)
Or am I missing something big or smart? Pardon my lack of understanding but care to explain?
@ Santosh: You are absolutely right. This is like clearly showing someone to be the killer in a murder mystery and then later showing somebody else without any logical explanation, and saying- “Hey, I fooled you!” The plotholes in AW are uncountable.
@VPJ: “The movie deserves all the appreciation it deserves”
????? :O
The film had its points, but as far as as ‘plotholes’ and their explanations are concerned, I could come up with a whole questionnaire for Mr. Neeraj Pandey! Too many liberties and too many conveniently and recklessly done ‘twists’…
Naseer indeed indulged in some transactions like buying RDX and probably snooping around collecting data on the jailed terrorists that might have triggered alerts in the police informer network which is probably why he is being hinted in the discussions and when the cover is lifted – real motives emerge and the puzzle is unraveled. So I have no problems as far as a ‘hazy’ outline of his face is being shown in police discussions.
I felt that it was a thriller and not a murder mystery or detective plot. There is a setup for a final punch and that is what we see as the extensive lead sequences culminating in the top police brass assembled in the ‘war room’ on call with the ‘terrorist’. So in the context whatever you guys are bringing up are like ‘how is that possible’ and ‘how did this guy end up there’ which is not necessarily to be applied against a simple thriller. If all that kind of logic were to be accorded the preference, then it wouldn’t have been a 90 minute thriller – but a 2 1/2 hour action movie with sagging intervals where one feels like taking a McCain style wander.
And as far as manipulation or cheating is concerned – I feel that is what thriller movies always aspire to do. The story of a highly trained european gang holding a party revellers in a high rise is rife with loopholes and logical gaps – yet it is the plot of the most successful action thriller of recent times – ‘Die Hard’ So your arguments might hold tight if neeraj had made a ‘French connection’ – but against a thriller with a point to make in the end – I guess the elaborate setup with a few questionable points holds enough water tightly enough to entertain folks in a water theme park.
And as for the message in itself is concerned, I was reminded strongly of the Hollywood dud ‘Sword Fish’. This one makes a better plea for its central message and that is why i said it deserves all the appreciation it deserves.
Superb movie.The old duo Nasir and Anupam delivered a dazzling performance in that movie.Hats off to them.
Nice decent appraisal without going overboard VPJ.
and thats what A Wednesday is – A nice decent thriller.
but Die Hard?
really a more apt comparison would be Speed. but or as u said swordfish (im not talking about logic here just plain execution)
Jaiganesh,
Nice post. I have a question – there is one thing which I did not understand : How does Anupam Kher identify the building from which Naseer is carrying out his operations and does he realise, in the ned, that Naseer is the ‘terrorist’. Can somebody please throw some light.
I meant ‘end’
There are too many questionable plot points, VPJ- that’s the problem! And this is supposed to be a realistic and hard-hitting film with a profound statement on today’s state of affairs. I wouldn’t really compare it to Die Hard, other than the fact that both have vigilantes. Why would he buy RDX? And why would he place a bag in the station needlessly? And how come the other news channels don’t pick up the story? I think there would be atlest 10 more such major things if not more.
Of course it was a thriller and not a murder mystery or detective plot. However, IMO all these silly gimmicks and convenient routes are unpardonable in a good, smart thriller.
When I read the title of Article ‘A wednesday – a 90 minute thriller –really.’ I had a negative vibe for it (article).After reading through it, I tried to examine why that vibe? AW voices thoughts of almost every common man in Mumbai or any large metro/city in world. It has become so close to heart that calling it a Thriller is like calling Mahabharat – an action story or Ramayan – a revenge.
Nice article though.
:-)
@jahan
He buys the RDX and leaves it int he railway station just ensure that they take him seriously because his ultimate aim was to get the terrorists out and kill them. He need to back up his claims that he is gonna blow up the town. Simple.
@raj balakrishnan
They trace the buiilding with the hacker and he recognises naseers face with the sketch drawn with the felp of the constable who takes the FIR from naseer durig the begining of the film
“Why would he buy RDX?”
To blow up the terrorist. Also to make the police take him seriously. If there were no reports of RDX purchase the police wuld ask themselves “How is he going to blow up so many places?”
“And why would he place a bag in the station needlessly?”
To make the police take him seriously.
“And how come the other news channels don’t pick up the story?”
Hmmm….. Possible loophole. However i do not think it affects the story to take it seriously.
Also in the earlier comments, it is said that his face was visible. As far as I remember, only a small part of the face was shown. That person could be some other chap cooling his heels in a hideout anywhere in the world. It neednt have been Naseer.
Balaji,
Thanks for the explanation – I thought that the hacker was not able to trace Naseer’s calls
Sorry about the RDX- my bad. Forgot- silly error
@Dhananjay: “To make the police take him seriously.”
He already kept one in the Police station for that. He needn’t have kept the one in the station. Besides, the way they showed him keeping it was unbelievably lame.
There are lots of other glaring gaps- need to watch the film again to remember. I guess Pratim Da would know better.
In any case, holes aside, the overall treatment was pretty shoddy, very Balaji type often- the side characters were really badly played. I liked it, but it’s not really that great- that’s my point.
DPac I brought in Die hard not as a qualitative comparison – but just as an example of what thrillers set out to be and I agree with Bharadwaj Rangan that this is a thriller that successfully manages to transcend the genre and we all commend Neeraj for having done that and for setting up the final 15 minutes in the process.
@Raj – the ‘hacker’ is able to pinpoint the signal source (again dont ask how he is able to do that – one of the holes for some – convenience, expediency for me) though doesn’t reveal it to Anupam, and anupam finds it out and looks at the screen that points to the building location
@Jahan – I am not claiming that this is the best thriller et al. Please read above as to why I referred to Die Hard.
He buys RDX to create scare and convince the ‘bluff’ Had police not found the RDX – they would have ignored his demands and we know that is not the climax we can see in 90th minute. in some ways it is like ‘Inside Man’ – elaborate bluff part of it is somewhat easier to understand.
Again placing the bomb in police station is to make the situation all the more sensational -again reinforcing the bluff. As far as I could see there are some plot holes (even they have been cleverly shrouded in misdirection) and they should not rob the movie of its ’smart thriller with clear message’ tag. As far as the single news channel coverage – it is rather clearly explained by Naseer that he chose one channel- one reporter randomly and later when the channel is spotted by Anupam – he provides access of information to only that channel for sake of maintaining a line of communication with the ‘terrorist’ and at the same time containing the ‘information panic’ that would hamper police’s efforts to sniff out other bombs supposedly planted elsewhere. This again is rather clearly outlined in the movie.
I would say that within limitations it achieves far more than it set out for and therefore the film is an unqualified success (creatively).
why does he leave a bag on station ? — may be he wanted to show how easy it is in India for terrorist to place a bomb in middle of crowded area …
But having seen the UTV news coverage, won’t the other channels also pick up the news?
Jaiganesh,
thanks for the explanation
SPOILERS ……………….SPOILERS
Jahan – Even if they did – what would be that news? Terrorists are being moved between prisons and a while later – bomb squad drills in malls and then terrorists died in mishap – one of them shot dead while trying to escape…If they get curious further – Police would anyway barricade off other media and by the time they get in, the news itself would have evaporated without any FIR, arrest – so like Inside Man which was about a heist that never happened – this was an assassination that never happened.
@Jahan
“But having seen the UTV news coverage, won’t the other channels also pick up the news?”
How do you know they did not? For all you know, the news may be running on all other channels as well – the movie just does not show it, that’s all!
I mean, that is hardly a loophole.
Why does he leave a bomb in the station? It wasn’t a bomb – he said so himself in the end (that he has not planted any other bomb). That may just have been a bag he placed to see how it goes … sort of a dry run before he does the same in the police station.
These are not material really, in my view.
There was only one thing that I found odd was the idea that any common man can comfortably acquire RDX .. I mean, that is a real stretch.
@VPJ,
I also got to see it last Friday. in first watch film maintains a certain grip over audience and with so many cinematic flaws it works fine.
It has emotional appeal and that strikes the audience at right moment.
Its first watching makes it look better than all the other thrillers released in last 10 months.
But Film’s success may be dependent heavily on the current emotions of the audience because people are passing through these phases so it touches the emotional chord with people but cinematically it needed many improvements. Its like fulfilling the demand and supply rule.
When the euphoria will be finished and people will watch it again and again its flaws will start appearing big in size.
And we can discuss and dissect the film cinematically also.
Its not consistently good in every frame and there are many flaws in every department (story, screen play, performance and direction).
Film is a hit but director can not have a sound sleep as far as that feeling is concerned where one can say that ok he has got a certain standard and command and now will deliver a quality product only.
In the end Naseeruddin Shah remains the most satisfying element of the film. It could have become great piece of cinema as far as on-screen fire between two characters is concerned if Anupam Kher was also motivated by director to perform at that excellent level where Naseer has acted and if Naseer had got equal response but he does not bring that kind of consistent performance and surely not at that level where Naseer has acted. Its major weakness of director because film rests on these two major characters and one actor has given an outstanding and consistent performance in every frame and other is not consistently good in every scene.
Make up man of Naseeruddin Shah will have to be praised. He gave him get up of A person whose appearances resemble with the “Common Man” of RK Laxman’s cartoon corner and Naseer’s character calls him as a common man.
Director could have extracted much better performance from Anupam Kher who is such a capable actor but somehow he looked tired and too conscious through the camera means he was not given right outlines. Even this actor acts wonderfully in a masala film God Tussi Great Ho and brings the psychological depth of a character but here its missing and Naseer is providing that depth. Anupam Kher is looking like a teacher of Police academy and not an active police commisioner who is facing a very hard challenge to save the city. He is looking that police officer who has been sent to peaceful posting to teach the officers.
The scene where two policemen, one of them is Jimi Shergil, are carrying three terrorists in a bus to airport, is one of the weakest scenes in the film. That scene needed some grip and fire and intensity but here audience feel like he has to pass the time till they reach at airport. and this was very crucial point of the film.
Improvements could enhance its longevity factor and could have made it one of the best thrillers made in hindi cinema.
We can say that film is a hit and director will get a lots of offers but he has not become the director of a great film. After sometime one starts feeling that Director just missed so many things and after a day or so it remains as a film having wonderful performance by Naseer.
@Kic: Okay, I give you the TV channel bit, but this doesn’t sound convincing to me: “That may just have been a bag he placed to see how it goes … sort of a dry run before he does the same in the police station.” Anyway, I am fed up of discussing this film now yaar- there are many other issues (Some of which may not be valid) I have but i can’t remember rite now and don’t really wish to spend energy on recalling them. So, I think I shall let go for now.
In short, I was liking it while watching but after the film was finished this satisfaction was there a better thriller came this year and its certainly better than all other thrillers released in recent times but good things of film had increased the expecatations and by the end many expectations could not be fulfilled and one major expectation was to get a burning conflict between Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher’s performances but it was missing. It does not turn out to be Heat or even The Jackal or Schakal. Those emotional rhetorics can not carry the whole film to make it a great film.
The Computer Boy’s introduction was quite good especially when he starts talking to his GF on mobile but then his part becomes so weak in the film. These inconsistencies marr the film’s chances to bring it in to the list of very good films.
But nevertheless it was a different film and it was a debut film so we have to pay attention to all the good things included in the film and naturally good expectations are there from its director. Hopefully next time he gets more consistency in each department.
Whts all this fuss, are we examiners here ro rate an answer paper..
Dont go for logics, comeon end of the day its a fuking movie…its bound to be unreal.
But lets not forget how realistically is unreal…i like this movie immensly for its thought provoking theme.
I liked the climax..it was bang on..especially the last scene between Naseer and Anupam, i can feel the intensity of Anupam urging to meet the guy to who is brought a new meaning to his entire career and the essense of passion in bringing justice to oneself.
Jaiganesh,
Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and saw it twice knowing the plot! It was a nice, pacy thriller and works well at that. My only question/doubt was to do with the technique adopted in the middle. that’s all. Only wanted to know if I was getting it all wrong, if I missed some picture. Otherwise I don’t question liberties taken in thrillers/murder mysteries/action dramas.
Agreed that all round professionalism of big time directors and bigger budget movies was missing in parts in the movie – however the film cleverly remained tightly focussed on the two characters and therefore all the minor glitches that Rk and Jahan are pointing out remain well hidden.
Just consider this:
A film with 40+ central characters,
both of them not villains,
no great action set pieces,
Not a disaster movie or a riots movie
yet if it simply worked based (even agreeing to RK’s conclusion that second time viewing of the movie will be laborious) on suggestive threats and tensions alone, I think due credit must be given to the maker here. I dont know which other movie has accomplished this in recent times. I would be happy if a list is presented for it gives
I had to put this as a review in PFC, but generally I am not a great reviewer of movies – I have made it a point to simply appreciate fine points in good movies in my posts and this post of mine is also intended to be the same.
The defects in ‘A wednesday’ as I have mentioned earlier pale in comparison to what it has accomplished, in crowning two of the finest actors in hindi film industry with an apt script.
Attributing the success of the movie to the current security situation is again something that I would not do.
I dont know since when making movies on topical issues became a ‘no-no’ thing to do.
Wedenesday is really really overrated. right up there with Black. It is Akshay Kumar- Sunil Shetty 90’s movie, without Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty. And that its made in 2000s.
@Jaiganesh (29),
If PFC also has to follow a trend to JUDGE the films then we also can finish the job in few words and we need only two sentences
(1) Film was good/very good/great etc etc
(2) film was bad/worst etc etc
Then every time we can do a copy and paste job.
But we all discuss the points. They can lead towards the better points of the film or bad points of the film.
Commercial success or failure can not be the real focus to discuss a film. But if a film has got 70 good things and 20 bad things then those things can come under the discussion and often as different and separate points.
I dont understand why such discussion is taken as against a film? Are we affecting the business of the film?
There is nothing wrong on making a film on ancient subject or contemporary theme or future based subjects.
I liked the film. But can we go ahead on a discussion with simply praise ( I love it) or criticism ( I hate it) ?
Or do we need some points to discuss?
People are discussing the film and this is the success of the film.
I have not even touched any minor lacking like a bench lying at airport and many such over simplified issues which should not be present in a good thriller.
It is subjective issue regarding viewing but its strange for me when Anupam Kher’s average performance is kept in same sentence with brilliant performance of Naseeruddin Shah.
what is the use for an actor then to try to give an indepth portrayal of a complex character?
I am confused.
On PFC I came across posts on Drona / Singh is King / Then the torcher series like Marte Dam Tak etc giving an impression that “different and good cinema” is much awaited and appreciated.
Then there are posts which go on bashing TZP / A Wedenesday etc one of the more sensible movies of recent times and label them as over rated.
I am afraid but there is a Khalid Mohammed in most of us. Who knows writing in good english and uses it to either criticize even best of works.
PFC by far is much better forum as none of the post is biased. But I think it is time when we should reflect that are we trying to do what Khalid has been doing since decades? May be 10 years back there was no means to express ourselves and now with internet everyone can express and write blogs and give opinion and counter opinion which is not bad in it self but sometimes it is done for the heck of it.
I think we need to look things in perspective. When A Wednesday is made and released at a time when people think Kidnap is a thriller and Dhoom series is a classic and Singh is King is humour better than Partner then we have to appreciate A Wednesday.
Wednesday / TZP / RDB / Black Friday / MMJ / Welcome to Sajjanpur etc give us a glimmer of hope in the times like this.
Dombivali Fast was not a classic and there were flaws but compared to other Marathi movie releases it is a classic and hence we can’t term it as overrated. It is all relative to what we are comparing it with.
When we look at A Wednesday I think we need to go by the defnition of thriller as defined by bolloywood which term Kidnap / Race / Ajnabee as thrillers. And now we have a movie without any song / item number / kissing scenes/ hunks to sell the movie ? And instead we have Naseer and Anupam of all the actors. Now this is something “differnet” and worth taking note of.
We can discuss shortcomings and try to improve next time but we can’t conclude that these are OVERRATED movies.
@Zaid,
who did this crime to call a film as overrated?
Kisse ye gustakhi ho gayee?
But please dont over react.
Lucky are those films which are discussed.
Lucky are those filmmakers whose films are discussed.
Discussion keeps them and their work in focus and many people who follow the discussionw atch it again to get some points.
Cheeks of the director of “A Wednesday” will be getting more shining every time film is discussed.
Why you are disturbed is beyond the comprehension.
Avoidance kills any product and not discussion.
—
You say shortcomings can be dicussed. what else people are doing here?
@RK parth@30 said the movie is overrated.
@Neeraj, the DVD is out.
Overall it seems like the end is thought first and the story is written backwards and we only wait to know the end… well its not OK and
with themes of such sensitiveness I think it seems that
people try to find easy solutions that are non-pragmatic,
unconvincing, of false beliefs through film medium and then
call it good intelligent cinema… I feel humiliated…
Please refrain of doing such things because these films are
seen by thousands of people if manipulated in such form (we
call it a hit then)… seems like even serious filmmakers are also taking advantage of the situation, sub-consciously may be… but I dont think its acceptable… these films are bound to be discussed whether for wrong reasons or right…
I think I would rather consider films like No Entry, Cash,
Golmaal, Money Hai Toh Honey Hai, yash raj, karan johar
types… I know as an audience there is no substance in those films, there is no logic, they are absurd, lot of here and there… but I would not accept any kind of manipulation of the reality and with the sensibility of the topic in themes like this… I wonder why nobody (crew, actors etc) involved in the process of film making raises the questions that are raised in other comments here… may be certain limitations in the creative process or in the voice…