Black Friday is the story of the 1993 bomb blasts that took place in Mumbai. Based on a book by S. Hussain Zaidi, this movie tries to recreate those events and the intense feelings that followed them.
Introduction
editBlack Friday is based on the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai which many believe were organised as retaliation for the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. It was featured at the Locarno film festival and recieved widespread praise.
Black Friday has not been released in theatres as on the eve of its release a petition was filed by the persons named in the movie, the alleged perpetrators of the crime, seeking a stay. Their argument. which was upheld by the court[1], was that the movie would bias public opinion against them and hence affect the outcome of the verdict which is still pending in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. The accused have been charged with TADA, Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act, which carries a maximum sentence of death.
Plot
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On March 9, 1993 Gul Mohammed gave statement that there is a conspiracy underway to bomb major locations around the city at Nav Pada police station, Bombay. But the police dismiss his confession. Three days later Bombay city is torn apart by a series of explosions. The death toll is close to 300. Investigators discover that the bombs were made of, RDX which could only have been obtained through the collusion of a foreign power by a large amount of illegal money.
Practically the blasts were enrooted to the Bombay Riots, bloody warring between the Hindu and Muslim communities between December 1992 and January 1993. It was an unprecedented outburst of violence and abuse, resulting in emotional trauma and property loss. Tiger Memon's (Pawan Malhotra) office was burnt to cinders.The suffering of the Muslim minority community in the riots incited a meeting of underworld leaders in Dubai, who then took it on themselves to seek retaliation. Tiger was also looking for his own revenge, and suggested an attack on Bombay as the strongest message.Leading to Friday, March 12, 1993. Twelve explosions at key points around the city. 300 people dead. 800 injured. And a trial that awaits verdict.
Asgar Muqadam,Tiger Memon's secretary on March14,1993, is arested.He is beaten till he confessed what he knows about the bomb blasts, and the police began their search. Inspector Rakesh Maria is put in charge of the case.
Following the blasts Badshah Khan (Aditya Shrivastava) had left Bombay and gone into hiding but on May 10, 1993 he was found out.
Badshah Khan realizes that there is no justification for his acts, and decides to become a police witness.On November 4, 1993, the police file a charge sheet against 189 accused. The Central Bureau of Intelligence takes over the case.
Then on August 5, 1994, Tiger's brother, Yaqub Memon, willingly turns himself in to the authorities. In a candid Newstrack interview on national television Yaqub states that it was Tiger and his underworld associates who orchestrated the conspiracy. And Tiger Memon has now disappeared.