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Bombay March 12

Movie Bombay March 12 Director Babu Janardhanan Music Afsal Yusuf Cast Mammootty, Roma

By Moviebuzz

Okay, this may be yet another film on terrorism, which is perhaps the favorite subject for quite a number of filmmakers these days. But in all fairness, scenarist turned debutant director Babu Janardhanan'sBombay March 12 has tried to bring in a different pattern to the narrative here. But, how much does it work is the obvious question. At best, it does in parts. The story begins from the accounts of Sameer (Mammootty), who is questioned by the cops quite often, just for being a Muslim at times. He is a municipal sweeper married to Abida (Roma). Now the story starts to unfurl, not in a disciplined way, which is the highlight of the film as well. It's like stitching together several scenes happening at various junctures and unveiling the hidden mysteries in the process. Sameer was a Hindu priest Sanathana Bhat, hailing from Kasaragod, at some point of time. He goes to Pochampally in Andhra Pradesh and soon after certain unprecedented happenings, changes his life forever. Also in one of the many flashback scenes, there is the story of Shajahan (Unni Mukundan), who is Abida's brother. They belong to a poor Muslim family in Alappuzha and everyone in the family is happy when he gets a job in Mumbai. But the train journey turns out to be a crucial one in his life. Babu Janardhanan's script is a complex one and the film has been made with lots of honesty, which is evident on screen. But the problem seems to be that it has been dealt with in a more serious way than the storyline demands. As a result, the focus is limited to its pattern and the twists n turns that the story takes. Vipin Mohan's visuals are okay. Afsal Yusuf's tunes sound impressive. Mammootty looks good and has done his parts with conviction, but is the role a really challenging one for an actor of his level? There are too many loose ends in the storyline which make things unconvincing as well. Like the transformation of Bhat to Sameer and also his marriage to Abida, have been shown in a rather hasty manner, quite different from the pace that the film has been following all along. Roma looks quite different from her usual bubbly avatar and Unni Mukundan (who was seen in the Tamil version of Nandanam, called Seedan) makes an impressive debut in Malayalam. Sadique looks good as Abida's dad. Well, the film has a certain style which may be perfect for a certain section of viewers. If you can find a sync with its pace, the film can turn out to be a nice experience. Now, decide on your own if you belong to that category.