In July 2016, Islamic terrorists stormed a popular café in upscale Dhaka and held its patrons hostage, killing more than 20 people and sending shockwaves across the subcontinent. Faraaz is the youngest son of a rich, politically connected family. That evening, he meets his friends at the café and finds himself caught in the crossfire. How he reacts to the nightmarish situation forms the heart of the story. Offsetting nail-biting tension with unexpected humour – often at the expense of inept law-enforcement officials – Hansal Mehta (Aligarh, LFF 2015) brings his trademark sensitivity, nuance and empathy to this fictionalised retelling. It is particularly striking for the way it looks at religious extremism from the perspective of Muslims who have seen their faith questioned and demonised because of the actions of radical extremists.

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