Phantom is an action thriller released on 28th of August 2015 whose screenplay is based on the book “Mumbai Avengers” by S. Hussain Zaidi. The book is about a retired Lt. Gen. agitated by the diabolical Mumbai attacks of 26/11, who masterminds a covert mission with a team of agents: a sharp policeman, a tech expert, a cerebral scientist and two army officers. They, despite being followed by the Pakistani army and the ISI, find out each and every assassin throughout Sweden to Istanbul, through Dubai, Pakistan and Singapore and destroy them. In order to save the Indian government from political embarrassment they even conceal the deaths as natural ones.
The movie Baby released on 23rd January 2015 was also about a similar case, also based on a similar mission in response to Mumbai attacks, aimed at finding and eliminating the terrorists planning attacks in India. The movie was a hit in India, average in overseas and banned in Pakistan. Its screenplay was selected for Oscar’s library. A movie D-Day was released on 19th July 2013 which had the same basic idea about a team sent to Pakistan to bring Goldman. The team killed Goldman realizing a probability of his escape once again due to incompetence of government was about to disavow the team in case of failure. So, either it be the book “Mumbai Avengers” or the movies, the basic idea is a fantasy which every Indian wishes to come true. And at the same time these also indicate the limitations the government has in carrying out such missons. This idea has given a hope that yes; there is a way to counter terrorism and to counter play for all the sufferings of humankind, since the advent of terrorism.
The idea is to kill terrorists by guerilla warfare, an irregular warfare in which a group of combatants use military tactics including ambushes, raids, sabotage, petty warfare, hit and run tactics and mobility to fight against a larger and less mobile traditional military.
Fantasizing being a counter-terrorist flourishes among the new generation and terrorist attacks ignite them repeatedly. A dream of terrorism free world rather instigates many youngsters to be terrorists. Equal love for weapons and equally strong willpower to kill someone is a common feature of terrorists and counter-terrorists. The difference amongst them is the strong philosophy which readies them to become a life taking machine. In either of both cases, humanity dies. A terrorist also pretends to be a counter-terrorist; they never accept that they are spreading terrorism. They believe that they are fighting a war, either in the name of religion or any stupid cause.
Phantom is definitely a fantasy of every Indian, the chaotic happiness in cinema hall adds to the statement. But is this the solution? Definitely not! Everyone is interested in eradicating terrorism from the whole world. But it’s necessary to identify the root cause. It can be suppressed with guns, but it will vanish only with the spirituality, education, basic amenities and freedom.
Since most of the young people who chose to become human bombs are either jobless or their education and knowledge is limited which makes them easy targets for being brainwashed. The so called institutions that produce terrorists out of normal human beings take away the humanity from them and make them believe that whatever wrongs they are doing is a service to the God. Fellow Indians, who always prefer to be a part of counter-terrorist in the famous game of Counter-Strike rather than being a terrorist and planting bombs in strategic locations will surely reverberate my words.
