Review of Mumbai Diaries 26/11: An intense and fast-paced series that feels authentic

Mumbai Diaries 26/11 review: The play works best when, in the midst of all the chaos, some of the characters take a moment and exchange glances or words. It makes you believe that the world still has some good in it.

Coming 13 years after the events of 26/11, one might expect the series to give greater insight into what actually occurred, but instead we get fictitious scenarios that strive too hard to be ‘balanced.’

Mumbai Diaries 26/11 is a fictional narrative based on real-life events that occurred on November 26, 2008 in Mumbai, directed by Nikhil Advani and Nikhil Gonsalves. Terrorists besieged the largest city in the country, launching assaults in several locations that killed over 200 people. The online series aims to convey an ambitious and human tale about the nightmare over the course of eight episodes, each titled after a medical word and lasting approximately 40 minutes.

Mumbai Diaries 26/11 creator: Nikkhil Advani
Mumbai Diaries 26/11 cast: Mohit Raina, Konkona Sensharma, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Natasha Bharadwaj, Tina Desai, Satyajeet Dubey, Mrunmayee Deshpande, Prakash Belawadi

Mumbai Diaries 26/11

This fictionalised series depicting the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terrorist events will undoubtedly polarise public opinion. Not because of how it’s created, but because of the subject.

The series is extremely uncomfortable from the start, melodramatic to the core, with scenes crammed with turmoil and exposing human frailties, follies, and peculiarities. It just reintroduces the misery, and if you enjoy watching people suffer, this series is for you.

The eight-episode series tells the storey of how terrorists went on a killing rampage, murdering random individuals on sight, and wreaked havoc on the city. It concentrates on what happened in the Leopold Cafe, the Bombay General Hospital, and the Palace Hotel. The act of the terrorists and the characters in charge of rescue efforts in the various locations simply and by default connect these locations.

For the most part, the characters are made up, and there are plenty of theatrical flourishes to add to the fundamental plot. Phones die, coworkers are separated or killed, and egotism and religious profiling cause friction along the road.

The performance of the entire cast is natural and simply brilliant. The look of sincerity that Mohit Raina offers as Dr Kaushik Oberoi, the maverick and sought-after head of the Emergency Ward of BG Hospital working under pressure despite having martial issues, cannot be missed.

The series is focused on atmosphere and mood, with excellent production qualities. The directors’ cinematic skill and uncompromising command of camera and action successfully immerse viewers psychologically and physically among the many victims and survivors of the horrible attack.

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