Review : Mumbai Meri Jaan

Soha Ali Khan More Pics It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Mumbai is known for its fighting spirit and that’s what the people of the city showed when the serial train blasts on July 11, 2006 threatened to break that spirit. And that’s what Nishikant Kamat’s Mumbai Meri Jaan seeks to show through the lives of five characters in the aftermath of the blasts. Paresh Rawal, who plays one of the central figures, believes that the crux of the story comes from the belief that pain and loss are there but one can’t succumb to it. “Life goes on,” he says and adds, “It’s a message to the terrorists that people of India are strong and will not get bogged down by such tragedies. The truth is that no country can be run by terrorists. It’s an exercise in futility.” Agrees Soha Ali Khan, who plays a hard news television reporter, whose fiance dies in one of the blasts. “Terrorism doesn’t discriminate against caste, creed, religion, cities. It can happen anywhere and that’s what is so frightening,” she says. Soha believes this film will make people sit up and think “but it’s not a preachy film. It has great dialogues and is immensely watchable,” she adds. But how would a person from, say Delhi or Bangalore or West Bengal can identify with something that happened in Mumbai? “This film is not just about the city, it’s about people and how they cope with a tragedy. The theme is universal,” clarifies Irrfan Khan who adds, “Plus in today’s times, you can’t seclude yourself and say that terrorism is India’s problem or America’s problem or Iraq’a problem.” Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO UTV Motion Pictures could not be more pleased about being associated with this film. “We’re very proud of this film. In fact, I can say it’s at par with some of the best movies that have dealt with the issue of terrorism.”