Cast: Arjan Bajwa, Arjun Bijlani, Vivek Dahiya, Sid Makkar, Tara Alisha Berry

Director: Matthew Leutwyler

Rating: ***

The memories of the 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai are still fresh on our minds. We have seen many documentaries and films on those dreaded 3 days through different lenses but this is the first time someone has tried to show what happened through the perspective of the brave NSG commandos that saved the day in the dire emergency.

ZEE5's brand latest offering 'State of Siege: 26/11' is out now so without much ado, let's take a look at what's on display here.

Directed by American director Matthew Leutwyler this eight-episode series is based on journalist Sandeep Unnithan's critically acclaimed book 'Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11'.


The series starts in the wee hours of November 26th, 2008 and it is an unbiased account of 2008 Mumbai attacks from the beginning till the end. The screenplay is intensely gripping and the horror of the event is depicted so realistically it might leave you stunned. The story keeps moving back and forth showing different prospects of the attack not allowing you to blink most of the time.


The direction is top-notch and the premises & the setup including the Taj Hotel, Oberoi-Trident Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, Leopold Cafe everything looks convincingly real. State of Siege also highlights how the media unknowingly aided the terrorists by broadcasting everything live on TV which even the terrorists were watching along with other security lapses at major locations of the attack.

The pace of the screenplay takes some major points away from State of Siege as in between it keeps shifting to the personal lives of the main characters to make it more dramatic which is exhausting. Still, it is an interesting watch that presents a different side of the story and tells you how our security forces joined hands and laid their lives to save the lives of the people.


The performance of the complete cast is impressively good including Arjan Bajwa, Vivek Dahiya, Arjun Bijlani, Sid Makkar, Jyoti Gauba, Jhalida Jaan, Tara Alisha Berry, Suzanne Bernert, Roshni Sahota, Jason Shah, and Naren Kumar and they do their best to bring their characters to life.

The cinematography also deserves to be praised here as the complete series has been shot using only natural light without any artificial effects.

Overall, State of Siege makes up for a power-packed watch with good performances. The pace tends to be dull in between but the intensity, grip and adrenaline rush keeps your eyes glued to your screens.