Mid Day's 'Black Friday' reaches Locarno

Mid Day's 'Black Friday' reaches Locarno
By: A Mid Day Correspondent
May 17, 2004
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Anurag Kashyap, director and
Arindam, producer, of Black Friday
Mid-Day’s first feature film, Black Friday - the true story of the Bombay Blasts has been included in the competition section of the 57th Locarno International Film Festival this year.

The festival will be held between August 4 and 14 at Locarno in Switzerland.

Black Friday’s inclusion in the competition was announced at a press conference in Cannes by Ms Irene Bignardi, artistic director of Locarno Film Festival.

Irene was in Mumbai last month to see the work tape of Black Friday.

The film has been directed by Anurag Kashyap and produced by Arindam Mitra who also happens to be the chief operating officer (television) of Mid-Day Multimedia Limited.


A still from Black Friday


Black Friday is a film about the conspiracy behind the serial bomb blasts that rocked Mumbai on March 12 1993.

The twelve explosions around the city had killed over 300 people and the trial awaits verdict even now.

The film is based on the book, Black Friday written by S Hussain Zaidi, the assistant editor of Mid Day. The book was published two years ago by Penguin.

Just before flying to France for the World Premiere Market screening at Cannes, Arindam Mitra said that the selection at Locarno proves his point that though the film was about Mumbai blasts the subject is universal hence people worldwide could connect with it.

Shot in just 70 days spread over three months Black Friday is also scripted by Anurag Kashyap.


Ms Irene Bignardi, artistic director
of Locarno Film Festival announcing the inclusion of Black Friday
He says, "The film leaves one numb and questioning the inner self’’ According to Anurag the structure and story telling style of the film might have caught the attention of the festival organizers.

Locarno is considered one of the top four film festivals in the world, renowned for discovering directorial talent (remember that Lagaan’s international discovery happened here in the 8000 seater Piazza Grande, the largest outdoor cinema in the world).

Coincidentally, this year Locarno has a section called News front, which explores the relationship between journalism and movies through 70 films.