A Wednesday!
Encyclopedia
A Wednesday! is a 2008
Indian
thriller drama
film
written and directed by Neeraj Pandey
. It stars Anupam Kher
and Naseeruddin Shah
in the lead roles. Set between 2 pm to 6 pm on a Wednesday , the film depicts an about-to-retire police commissioner
narrating a sequence of events that unfolded on a particular Wednesday and which do not exist in any written record, but only in his mind and in those of several individuals who were involved in it, both willingly and unwillingly, and how those events affected the lives of all the concerned people.
The film was sleeper hit
at the box office grossing over Rs. 34 crores. Despite its low hype, the film was a box office success due to critical acclaim and positive word of mouth. Critics credited the movie for its effective storyline and particularly its twist ending. Subsequently, it also won a number of awards including, Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director
at the 56th National Film Awards
.
Police Commissioner Prakash Rathod taking a respite after a jog, describing in a voice-over
that he is going to retire from office the following day, and how numerous people have been recently questioning him about the most challenging case he had to deal with in his entire career, and how he has been deliberately evading such questions. As his voice-over ends the film switches into a narrative
, showing the events that occurred on a certain Wednesday
. An unnamed man is shown to strategically carry a travel bag, assumed to be explosives, in the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station and proceeding to place the bag, under the false pretense of lodging an FIR
, in the toilet of a police station
located near the Mumbai Police
headquarters
. He then calls up Rathod and informs him that 5 bombs have been placed in different locations throughout Mumbai, which are programmed to explode simultaneously within four hours unless the Commissioner gives in to his demands and releases four militants. In response, Rathod immediately alerts his team involved in intelligence research and surveillance, tapping all the available resources in gathering preliminary information and tracing the location of the caller. Meanwhile, the caller tips off television news reporter Naina Roy, telling her to reach the police headquarters immediately as it is going to be "the most important day of her life". Rathod suspects the anonymous caller to be bluffing, but his doubts are dispelled as the caller, to prove his seriousness and the police force's helplessness, reveals that a bomb has been planted in the police station right opposite to the Police headquarters. He tries to trigger the bomb through a cell phone, but it is located in the nick of time and defused.
Meanwhile, as Rathod and his team desperately try to locate the caller, the four militants demanded by the caller are taken to the location specified by the caller.
At this point the story takes a remarkable twist proving everyone's belief about the caller's intentions as wrong and ends on an idealistic note, with Rathod admitting that they all knew the common man was disturbed because of the insecure environment and the incompetence of the governing authorities but he never imagined a common man to go to such lengths and have the guts to do something like that.
, in fact the incidents that followed the bombings, were used as details in the plot of film.
After finishing the script, Pandey sent it to Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah, who were his only choice for the two principal characters. Once both accepted the roles, he approached producer, Anjum Rizvi,who also liked the subject and the casting. Meanwhile UTV Motion Pictures heard of the project and took it on, and bought over film’s rights from Rizvi and Pandey.
in 28 days. The location of terrorist (Naseeruddin Shah) ‘workstation’, was an actual under construction 25-storyed building, it was finalized from 50 other such building enlisted in the city, for it clear view of the Mumbai skyline. SInce the building has no elevators, the trolley life was installed, though Shah walked his way up to 25 floors everyday. In all, from casting to completion the film, took about eight months.
.
in a Tehelka
review, while commending Neera Pandey for tightly scripted film.."red herrings, finely etched characters", also noted " (for the film), the real Anupam Kher, whom we met in Saransh, and the real Naseeruddin Shah, whom we knew from Bazaar
and Mandi
and Sparsh
, both show up."
and Mohanlal
/Venkatesh
as primary roles.
In Telugu it was remade as Eeenadu
(2009) and in Tamil it was remade as Unnai Pol Oruvan (Someone Like You, 2009). UTV sold the rights of the film to Asia Media and Gemini Media, which remade it into A Common Man
, starring, Ben Kingsley
and Ben Cross
.
Bollywood films of 2008
A list of films produced by the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai in 2008:-Top grossing films:The top fifteen grossing films at the Indian box office in 2008, as estimated by Boxofficeindia.com.-2008 releases:- External links :...
Indian
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
thriller drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
film
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
written and directed by Neeraj Pandey
Neeraj Pandey
Neeraj Pandey is an Indian film director best known for his drama-thriller film, A Wednesday , for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director. His work on the film was highly praised by audiences as well as critics . He was nominated for "Best Director" category by...
. It stars Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...
and Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
in the lead roles. Set between 2 pm to 6 pm on a Wednesday , the film depicts an about-to-retire police commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
narrating a sequence of events that unfolded on a particular Wednesday and which do not exist in any written record, but only in his mind and in those of several individuals who were involved in it, both willingly and unwillingly, and how those events affected the lives of all the concerned people.
The film was sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
at the box office grossing over Rs. 34 crores. Despite its low hype, the film was a box office success due to critical acclaim and positive word of mouth. Critics credited the movie for its effective storyline and particularly its twist ending. Subsequently, it also won a number of awards including, Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director
Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director
The Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director is a National Film Award - Golden Lotus Award, given to a feature film director's first film.The National Film Award - Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director winners:...
at the 56th National Film Awards
56th National Film Awards
The 56th National Film Awards is presented to the best of Indian Cinema released during the year 2008.-Feature Films:Films made in any Indian language shot on 16 mm, 35 mm or in a wider gauge or digital format but released on a film format or video/digital but certified by the Central Board of Film...
.
Plot
The film opens with MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
Police Commissioner Prakash Rathod taking a respite after a jog, describing in a voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
that he is going to retire from office the following day, and how numerous people have been recently questioning him about the most challenging case he had to deal with in his entire career, and how he has been deliberately evading such questions. As his voice-over ends the film switches into a narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
, showing the events that occurred on a certain Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday is a day of the week in the Gregorian calendar. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. This day is between Tuesday and Thursday...
. An unnamed man is shown to strategically carry a travel bag, assumed to be explosives, in the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station and proceeding to place the bag, under the false pretense of lodging an FIR
First Information Report
A First Information Report or FIR is a written document prepared by the police in India, Pakistan and Japan when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First...
, in the toilet of a police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
located near the Mumbai Police
Mumbai Police
The Mumbai Police is the police force of the city of Mumbai, India. It has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation within the limits of Mumbai. The department's motto is ""...
headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
. He then calls up Rathod and informs him that 5 bombs have been placed in different locations throughout Mumbai, which are programmed to explode simultaneously within four hours unless the Commissioner gives in to his demands and releases four militants. In response, Rathod immediately alerts his team involved in intelligence research and surveillance, tapping all the available resources in gathering preliminary information and tracing the location of the caller. Meanwhile, the caller tips off television news reporter Naina Roy, telling her to reach the police headquarters immediately as it is going to be "the most important day of her life". Rathod suspects the anonymous caller to be bluffing, but his doubts are dispelled as the caller, to prove his seriousness and the police force's helplessness, reveals that a bomb has been planted in the police station right opposite to the Police headquarters. He tries to trigger the bomb through a cell phone, but it is located in the nick of time and defused.
Meanwhile, as Rathod and his team desperately try to locate the caller, the four militants demanded by the caller are taken to the location specified by the caller.
At this point the story takes a remarkable twist proving everyone's belief about the caller's intentions as wrong and ends on an idealistic note, with Rathod admitting that they all knew the common man was disturbed because of the insecure environment and the incompetence of the governing authorities but he never imagined a common man to go to such lengths and have the guts to do something like that.
Cast
- Naseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
as the unnamed caller - Anupam KherAnupam KherAnupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...
as Prakash Rathod, Commissioner of Police - Jimmy ShergillJimmy ShergillJasjit Singh Gill , popularly known as Jimmy Shergill , is an Indian actor.-Early life:Shergill was born in a Jatt Sikh family in Gorakhpur, India and studied there till 5th Grade in St. Paul's School. Then, his family shifted to Patiala...
as Arif Khan, ATS Officer - Aamir BashirAamir Bashir-Background:Bashir was born and raised in Kashmir, the son of the retired Chief Justice of Jammu High Court. He is a graduate of St. Stephen's College University of Delhi.- Career :...
as Jai Pratap Singh. Pl - Deepal ShawDeepal ShawDeepal Shaw , is an Indian actress, model who works in Bollywood movies.-Early life:Shaw was born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra, to parents originally from Uttar Pradesh. She studied in D.P.Y.A. High School, Dadar. Her mother was born in Lucknow, while her father was born in Ayodhya...
as Naina Roy, Television Journalist - Mukesh Bhatt (Actor) as Khurshid Lala
- Gaurav Kapoor as Ajay Kapoor
- Chetan Pandit as Chief Minister
- Virendra SaxenaVirendra SaxenaVirendra Saxena is an Indian theater, film and television actor. He is an alumnus of the National School of Drama. Saxena is known for his character roles as well as his unique voice. He has acted in films such as Shool, Dhoop, Aks as well as many television serials...
as Baburao Patil - Snehal Dhabi as Shambhu
- Kali Prasad Mukherjee as Ibrahim Khan
- Rohitash GaudRohitash GaudRohitash Gaud, also sometimes credited as Rohitashv Gaur or Rohitashv Gour, is an Indian television and film actor, best known for portraying the role of Mukundi Lal Gupta, in the SAB TV sitcom Lapataganj – Sharad Joshi Ki Kahaniyon Ka Pata....
as Ikhlaque Ahmed - Rajendra Chawla as Jaishankar Tiwary
- Vijay Bhatia as Mohd. Zaheer
- Parag Tyagi as Aakash Wadhkar
- Aayam Mehta as Shankar Patil
- Alok Narula as Raj Sharma
- Parth as Anuj Sharma
- Seema Malik as Priya Singh
- Vicky Ahuja
Development
Though a work of fiction , film's script was inspired by 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings
The 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation's financial capital. The bombs were set off in pressure cookers on trains...
, in fact the incidents that followed the bombings, were used as details in the plot of film.
After finishing the script, Pandey sent it to Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah, who were his only choice for the two principal characters. Once both accepted the roles, he approached producer, Anjum Rizvi,who also liked the subject and the casting. Meanwhile UTV Motion Pictures heard of the project and took it on, and bought over film’s rights from Rizvi and Pandey.
Production
The film was shot on location around MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
in 28 days. The location of terrorist (Naseeruddin Shah) ‘workstation’, was an actual under construction 25-storyed building, it was finalized from 50 other such building enlisted in the city, for it clear view of the Mumbai skyline. SInce the building has no elevators, the trolley life was installed, though Shah walked his way up to 25 floors everyday. In all, from casting to completion the film, took about eight months.
Release
Film's release was delayed as UTV own production Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008), also based on the Mumbai train serial blasts was scheduled for an August release, finally Wednesday was released in September., alongside Hijack and Santosh Sivan's TahaanTahaan
Tahaan - a boy with a grenade is an Indian drama film by Santosh Sivan. The film is based on the life of a young boy and his pet donkey. It is a fable-like journey of the eponymous eight-year-old boy, whose life revolves around the pursuit to find real purpose in his little world. The film stars...
.
Reception
Jerry PintoJerry Pinto
Jerry Pinto is a Mumbai-based Indian writer of poetry, prose and children's fiction in English, as well as a journalist. His noted works include, Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb which won the Best Book on Cinema Award at the 54th National Film Awards, Surviving Women and Asylum and Other...
in a Tehelka
Tehelka
Tehelka is an Indian weekly political magazine under the editorship of Tarun Tejpal known for its undercover exposé style of journalism. Its cover price is Rs 20 per issue. The publication began in 2000 as a news website, Tehelka.com...
review, while commending Neera Pandey for tightly scripted film.."red herrings, finely etched characters", also noted " (for the film), the real Anupam Kher, whom we met in Saransh, and the real Naseeruddin Shah, whom we knew from Bazaar
Bazaar (1982 film)
Bazaar is a 1982 Indian film directed by Sagar Sarhadi and starring Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Smita Patil and Supriya Pathak.The film highlights the tragedy of young girls being sold by needy parents to affluent Indians in the Gulf...
and Mandi
Mandi (film)
Mandi is a 1983 Hindi movie directed by Shyam Benegal.The film is a satirical comedy on politics and prostitution, and stars Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil...
and Sparsh
Sparsh
Sparsh is the Sanskrit word for touch. It can refer to:*Kan-swars or sparsh-swars as an ornamentic of ragas in Indian Classical Music*Sparsh - Touch a life, a non profit charity organization*Sparsh , a 1980 Indian film...
, both show up."
- Subhash K. Jha, newkerals.com, 27 August 2008, "Anupam Kher impresses Narendra Modi with 'A Wednesday'"
- Elvis D'Silva, Rediff India Abroad, 5 September 2008, "Watch Wednesday"
- Nikhat Kazmi, The Times of India, 5 September 2008, "A Wednesday - Best shot by Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah"
- Gaurav Malani, The Economic Times, 5 September 2008, "A Wednesday: Movie Review"
- Rajeev Masand, IBN Live, 6 September 2008, "Masand's Verdict: Any day, watch A Wednesday"
- Nikhat Kazmi, The Times of India, 5 September 2008, "A Wednesday"
- Nikhil Kumar, ApunkaChoice.com, "'A Wednesday' -Could make your day"
- A Common Man, http://www.moviejini.com/bollywood-news/a-wednesday-movie-a-must-must-watch-movie/, "'A Wednesday' - A Story of an Aaam Aadmi that gives you the feel of Freedom!. A must watch movie!"
Star Screen Awards
- Won Best Director - Neeraj PandeyNeeraj PandeyNeeraj Pandey is an Indian film director best known for his drama-thriller film, A Wednesday , for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director. His work on the film was highly praised by audiences as well as critics . He was nominated for "Best Director" category by...
- Won Best StoryStar Screen Award for Best StoryThe winners of the Star Screen Awards for Best Story are listed below:-1990s:*1994 Krantiveer - K.K. Singh*1995 Param Vir Chakra - Ashok Kaul*1996 Maachis - Gulzar*1997 Virasat - Kamal Haasan*1998 Zakhm - Mahesh Bhatt...
- Neeraj PandeyNeeraj PandeyNeeraj Pandey is an Indian film director best known for his drama-thriller film, A Wednesday , for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director. His work on the film was highly praised by audiences as well as critics . He was nominated for "Best Director" category by... - Won Most Promising Debut Director - Neeraj PandeyNeeraj PandeyNeeraj Pandey is an Indian film director best known for his drama-thriller film, A Wednesday , for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director. His work on the film was highly praised by audiences as well as critics . He was nominated for "Best Director" category by...
- Nominated for Best Background Music - Sanjoy Chowdhury
- Nominated for Best EditingStar Screen Award for Best Editing-1990s:*1994 Hum Aapke Hain Kaun - Mukhtar Ahmed*1995 Haqeeqat - Kuldeep Mohan*1996 Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin - Renu Saluja*1997 Virasat - N. Gopalakrishnan*1998 Soldier - Hussain A. Burmawala...
- Shree Narayan Singh
Filmfare Awards
- Nominated for Best DirectorFilmfare Best Director AwardThe Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in the Hindi film Industry. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year.-Superlatives:...
- Neeraj PandeyNeeraj PandeyNeeraj Pandey is an Indian film director best known for his drama-thriller film, A Wednesday , for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director. His work on the film was highly praised by audiences as well as critics . He was nominated for "Best Director" category by... - Nominated for Best ActorFilmfare Best Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954....
- Naseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
- Nominated at 2009 Asia Pacific Screen AwardsAsia Pacific Screen AwardsThe Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
at QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Prequel
On 14 April 2009, it was announced that a prequel for A Wednesday is being planned by the film makers. A Wednesday. Employing the same cast, the film is to be directed by Pandey's assistant, and as UTV owns the rights to the title, A Wednesday, an alternative would be chosen, as it being produced by Neeraj Pandey himself.Remakes
The film is remade into Tamil/Telugu starring Kamal HaasanKamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
and Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
/Venkatesh
Daggubati Venkatesh
Venkatesh Daggubati is an Indian film actor who stars in Tollywood films. He is the son of veteran Tollywood film producer, former MP, Dr. D. Ramanaidu. He is often credited as Victory Venkatesh in films and is one of the lead actors in Telugu Cinema. He has won seven Nandi Awards and four...
as primary roles.
In Telugu it was remade as Eeenadu
Eeenadu
Eeenadu is a 2009 Telugu film, a remake of the 2008 Hindi film A Wednesday!. Directed by Chakri Toleti, and starring Kamal Haasan and Venkatesh in the lead roles. It was simultaneously made in Tamil cinema as Unnaipol Oruvan with Mohanlal playing Venkatesh's role...
(2009) and in Tamil it was remade as Unnai Pol Oruvan (Someone Like You, 2009). UTV sold the rights of the film to Asia Media and Gemini Media, which remade it into A Common Man
A Common Man
A Common Man is an upcoming psychological thriller film starring Oscar Award winner Ben Kingsley and Ben Cross and directed by veteran film maker Chandran Rutnam...
, starring, Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
and Ben Cross
Ben Cross
Ben Cross is a British actor of the stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
.
External links
- A Wednesday Movie At Videos2Movies.com