Dasvidaniya - clearly differentiates between living and surviving.

The protagonist Amar’s only excitement in life is making a to-do list every morning and then ticking off everything that he accomplishes at the end of the day. But unfortunately, destiny has some other plans stored for him. He comes to know through his doctor that he is suffering from stomach cancer and now only has just three months left to live. Amar has so many unfulfilled dreams left! He then sets about making a new to do list of 10 things. His last list of all the things he has to do before he dies. From making a foreign trip to telling his childhood love about his affections for her to meeting his best friend with whom he has lost contact. The film follows Amar’s journey towards fulfilling his wishes which also take him nearer to his death.

The ever-demanding nature of human beings is very obviously put forth by Amar’s ever increasing list. It tells something about ourselves when every time an item is checked off the list there are a few unchecked ones glaring at you. And as you see that, you find Amar taking a pause to just stand and stare - something that brings him immense pleasure. Dasvidaniya is one of those rarities that bring a smile that refuses to go while a tear rolls down. The dark humor too helps in keeping that smile. The hero of the movie is a common man and somewhere everyone can relate to it because there is not a single faked moment. It is a bitter-sweet story about a man who refused to die before he had learnt to live.

Completely, character driven, the charm of the film lies in its simplicity of its theme and its wonderfully etched characters. The screenplay is well woven with some moments that carry the power to remain etched in your memory even long after the film is over. Returning to the ambit of the dull working class protagonist that he almost patented in Bheja Fry Vinay Pathak delivers yet another bravura performance as a man who learns to live only when he learns he has to die. Vinay Pathak gets the sur of the tragic hero's comic escapades just right. He's partly Charlie Chaplin, and partly Robert Benigni. But finally this is an actor who does his own thing. The film is a must see for Vinay Pathak’s absolutely brilliant performance. First timer Shashant Shah has handled this sensitive slice-of-life cinema with a rare maturity.

Naseeruddin Shah is India's finest actor.

One man makes all the difference - Naseeruddin Shah. To breathe life into such a simplistically written character is indeed a challenge, and Shah does exceedingly well and actually with his brilliance takes it to another level. So strong is his portrayal that you almost empathize with his angst. You forget that he is just an actor mouthing lines given to him by the dialogue writer. Shah becomes the character. That intensity in voice, that anger in eyes, those frail expressions of a middle-class existence in Mumbai are so apparent in Shah’s interpretation that you want to see more and more of him. And if the claps of audience in the theaters are anything to go by, the country’s finest actor’s performance in ‘A Wednesday’ has really hit you hard!

It's obvious why one might be inclined to see this film in favourable light. A person-on-the-street's grouse against the escalating threat to their lives; be it through recurring terror attacks or even monsoon floods. Post-such episodes, most of us whip ourselves back into normalcy, only for the freshest incident to dip us back into gloom. Yet, we do nothing about it.

‘A Wednesday’ is a film centered on burgeoning terrorism globally. This time it is the common man who wields the mike and makes himself heard. It is he who asks questions of his survival, his well-being, his life. Questions that are being asked all over the world but find it increasingly more difficult to be answered in India torn as it is with communal strife, poverty, external aggression and an outdated system. The film takes the system head-on and forcing itself to take a look at some uncomfortable truths. But this film takes a route few have trodden by showing drastic repercussions of its continual inability to tackle life-threatening issues. The film builds this catharsis, and the choices the characters make are brilliant in a tightly wrapped screenplay. The film doesn't fall prey of the usual setback of thrillers starting off impressively but losing momentum midways. It's consistent all through and the imaginative culmination imparts the film that extra sheen.

Debutante director Neeraj Pandey brings to us, idealistic and incorrupt officials ready to lay down their lives at a moment's notice but he does that with a touch of realism that makes them believable. He invests a human side to every character and juxtaposes the human dilemmas and pressures of the profession ably in each. ‘A Wednesday’ is a very brave film and Pandey should be applauded for the effort. It’s not an offbeat film but a completely commercial film with a message and by no means is the film a patriotic or jingoistic film.

The confrontation scenes between Anupam Kher and Shah are a treat to say the least. Anupam Kher comes up with a fine performance. Jimmy Sheirgill and Aamir Bashir are equally adept and gracefully natural. Deepal Shaw as a news TV reporter is quite capable and her voice is dubbed with a typical accent characteristic of the profession.

Besides a tight script, the film has very focussed direction by Neeraj Pandey. A lot of the film has been shot by Fuwad Khan in stylish top-shots where the characters - terrorists and counter-terrorist maneuverings appear larger than life and yet miraculously shrunken in the cosmic scheme of things. Editing and music keeps the energy and pace of the film going and increases the upbeat tempo.

And finally, it could have been any day of the week, but it is about a Wednesday, and a significant Wednesday at that. Watch it for its riveting plot and brilliant performances.