State of Siege Is Worth A Watch
Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
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By Slogger
First publised on 2020-04-29 07:47:24
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Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
View all posts by this Author
ZEE5's new show State of Siege 26/11, recounts the terror attacks that happened in Mumbai in 2008. It is based on Sandeep Unnithan's book, Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11. The only difference is that it tells the story from the point of view of the Manesar-based National Security Guard (NSG) and its role in neutralizing the terrorists. As many documentaries, films and serials have already been made on the subject, this difference makes the show worth a watch.
The eight-part series shows how 10 Pakistani youngsters, barely out of their teens, are brainwashed in the name of jihad and sent to India to attack prominent places like CST Railway Terminus, Hotel Taj Mahal Palace, Chabad House, Cafe Leopold, Hotel Trident and Cama and Albless Hosptial. On the other hand, it also shows how the NSG prepares itself for missions but is hampered by lack of funds and direction. The series highlights the fact that the police force, with their outdated weapons, is no match for the firepower of the terrorists. It also shows that the administration does not have a Plan A, let alone a Plan B, to tackle a situation like this. Finally, it questions the role of the media in flashing updates of secret missions (which the Pakistani handlers see on television and inform the perpetrators). And it does all this with finesse and a pace that seldom slackens.
The build-up is good and the helplessness of the Mumbai police (barring a few individually brave policemen), in the face of AK-47's and hand grenades, is brought out in detail. Initially, top police officers and the government have no clue as to what is happening. They even pass it off as an underworld gang war. In a parallel story, it shows how a TV magnate, giving the excuse of showing the 'truth' to viewers, keeps showing footage of actual operations being conducted by the NSG, thus warning the terrorists. But the pace really picks up when the Arjun Bajwa-led NSG commandos make an entry. The NSG operations are slickly done while not going over the top.
The series is good to watch even though movies like The Attacks of 26/11 and Hotel Mumbai and many documentaries have already shown most of what is shown here. The slick editing and the performances, with the NSG angle, keep the viewer hooked. The viewer will empathize with the NSG frustration of waiting for one hour for a minister to board their aircraft at Delhi airport even as Mumbai burns. He or she will also wonder why the NSG is denied better funding and why units are not placed in several regions (to prevent the delay in sending teams from Manesar) to counter terrorist attacks. And of course the viewer will also judge the role of the media in live telecasting footage of such sensitive operations.
