Catch it on: Saturday Nov. 26,9 pm,History What makes the show interesting are the accounts of the victims and cops. While most of them bring a lump to your throats,others give some insights about the meticulous planning of the terrorists The November 26 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 that claimed innumerable lives have scarred our minds forever. It not only showed the extent to which terrorists can go but also depicted the bravery of police officials,National Security Guard commandos and the common man. Three years after the attacks,60 Hours gives a blow-by-blow account of the various attacks at Cafe Leopold,Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station,Taj Mahal Palace and Tower,Trident Hotel and Nariman House. The programme shows the baby-faced terrorist Ajmal Kasab recounting how he and his companions were indoctrinated in July 2008,brainwashed into committing these attacks and eventually sent to Mumbai on November 22. Gradually the series of attacks during the course of the next 60 hours are depicted. What makes this show interesting are the accounts of the victims and police officials. While most of them bring a lump to your throats (like a railway announcer revealing that on the ill-fated night of 26/11 more people ended up being killed at CST due to the cancellation of a Patna-bound train),the others give you some interesting insights about the meticulous planning of the terrorists. For instance,top cop Rakesh Maria reveals that the assailants were divided into pairs by the handlers in such a way that an aggressive terrorist was accompanied by a cool-headed partner. Similarly,the handlers had precise instructions for the terrorists. They had to focus on the Taj hotel as it garnered maximum media attention and were asked to set the rooms and floors on fire. It also depicts heroic tales where the common man saved the lives of others. For instance,a manager at Trident hotel reveals how she saved the lives of her guests. Likewise Sandra Samuel,the nanny of baby Moshe who rescued him from Nariman House is heart-rending. A male and a female voice-over explain the goings-on captured by news cameras and CCTVs. The grainy images lend a real-time feel. But in most cases,the people who are narrating their accounts are not introduced to the viewers with a caption,which leads us confused. Also,most of these events chronicled have been already shown during the actual attacks. So while watching the show,apart from the interesting stories of the victims and police officials,you actually wait for the programme to go a notch higher. But unfortunately,it falls short of our expectations. Verdict: ** Watch it if you must.
