An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind

That's how Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday opens. Finally saw it after all the hype, hoopla and the overtime wages paid to the censors' scissors.

I was fairly young during the 92-93 riots and blasts (all of 14), but I remember looking out our window on the 27th floor, at bombay burning, and even at that young age thinking - it's never going to be the same again. I was right. Sadly so.

Coming back to the movie... I've read the book and was significantly more moved by the book than by the movie. But I'm guessing that's partly a function of what the censor's did with the movie.

Critically speaking, I saw 2 improvement areas in the film....
THE USE OF LIGHT, COLOR AND SHOT LENGTH - this kind of a dark story can really be helped with the right treatment. The director's used a blue (like tungten but not quite) screen as a device for a lot of scences, but it's flat. I'd have a lot more one sided light to drive contrast and a lot more close ups. There weren't nearly enough tight shots of actors - again critical in this kinda film.
BETTER FILLER ACTORS - it pisses me off how some of the hawaldars (police constables) act in some of these movies. They have one or two lines and they deliver them so badly it just shits on your fim watching experience.

Now I'll get off my high horse and stop acting like I know everything about making films... the film did bring 3 other things to mind...
THE ROLE OF CENSORSHIP IN OUR LIVES - It's the toss up between free expression and ensuring mass media is responsible for their actions and opinions. The more I think about it, the more I believe artists (in this case film makers) should be allowed to express themselves. If they receieve a public backlash (not via violence though) for their work/opinion, then that's their liability. Simplistic view - I know. But it's what I think.
THE SHIT THAT GOES ON IN THE SYSTEM - Breaks my heart to see some of the realities of the Indian judicial system that were depicted in the film. The blasts happened in 1993 and has resulted in the BIGGEST CRIMINAL CASE EVER in India. Of the 122 odd accused, 100 were convicted... only in 2003!!! The mastermind - Tiger Memon, is still a free man, probably laughing at the Indian police. Police atrocities. But what choice do they have - what with all the political pressures and human rights watchdogs.
WE'RE BUT ONE FLASHPOINT AWAY FROM ANOTHER COMMUNAL RIOT - We've seen this time and again. What're we doing to prevent it (apart from hoping)?