‘Amazon Prime Video’ series: “Mumbai Diaries 26/11”, directed by Nikhil Advani, tells the narrative of the medical staff at Bombay General Hospital and their acts of bravery and survival throughout the attack. Simultaneously, it provides insight into the events that occurred at the Taj Palace Hotel and how a journalist attempts to record all of these events in the face of terrorism and fear.
The Tragedy: Mumbai
The 26th of November, 2008, is a date that no Indian will ever forget. The horrific terrorist strike on India’s economic capital changed everything overnight, putting untold numbers of innocent lives in jeopardy.
Since the disaster, multiple films have been made from various perspectives, but this is the first time a web series concentrating on the difficulties of medical professionals and other frontline workers while dealing with such a major catastrophe has been released.
Cast
Nikkhil Advani and Nikhil Gonsalves are the directors. Mrunmayee Deshpande, Satyajeet Dubey, Prakash Belawadi, and Tina Desai star alongside Konkona Sen Sharma, Mohit Raina, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Natasha Bharadwaj.
Sadistic pleasure
The series is highly unpleasant from the start, theatrical to the core, with scenes crammed with mayhem and exposing human frailties, follies, and eccentricities. It simply reintroduces the misery, and if you enjoy watching people suffer, this series is for you.
This series provides an overview of the Mumbai terrorist attacks for people who are unfamiliar with the events, but it should not be taken seriously as a history lesson.
Brilliant Performance
The entire group gives a natural and incredible performance. Mohit Raina’s earnestness as Dr. Kaushik Oberoi, the maverick and sought-after head of the BG Hospital’s Emergency Ward who works under duress while having marital troubles, is unmistakable.
Dr. Ahaan Mirza (Satyajeet Dubey), Dr. Sujata (Mrunmayee Deshpande), and Dr. Diya Parekh (Natasha Bharadwaj) are three new junior doctors who join him on that fateful day. It is palpable how they go about their jobs with obvious trepidation.
Prakash Belawadi, as CEO and Dean of BGH, Konkona Sen Sharma, as Director of Social Service, and Tina Desai, as Dr. Kaushik’s wife Ananya, The male nurse is played by Pushkaraj Chirputkar, and the rest of the supporting cast is made up of the characters themselves.
Lights Camera Action
The series is focused on atmosphere and mood, with excellent production qualities. The directors’ cinematic talent and unflinching command of camera and action successfully position the audience mentally and physically among the numerous victims and survivors of the awful attack.
The camerawork of DOP Kaushal Shah is clean and flowing, catching the events up and personal. The editing is also flawless. Overall, the series is well-presented.
However, as previously stated, this series will undoubtedly elicit discussion among viewers. Moreover, you would be juggling questions about the subject’s ethics in your head.
Mumbai: Old wounds reopen
Is this show meant to encourage and celebrate humanity, or is it just for fun? It simply reopens old wounds. This comment from one of the series’ characters — “It is necessary to mourn, but it is also important to go forward in life” — is apt for the series as a whole.
There are scenes where it appears that the show is attempting to reopen old wounds. As a result, their blood can stain our spirits. The feeling of creating a balance between the good Muslim way and the wrong Muslim way.
When you keep pressing the same button, even the most well-intended comparisons lose control. The call to the 1984 Sikh riots to say that there is no such thing as an evil religion and that people use it for their reasons is repeated. Writers must come up with new ways to pose questions.
In general, “Mumbai Diaries 11/26” reads like a diary of someone who knows how to conceal his true feelings.
