Neeraj Pandey has directed 3 movies as of 2015 and all of them have been thrillers. Special 26 is no exception and it is based on a real life robbery that took place in Opera House, Mumbai in 1987. A trademark of Neeraj Pandey's movies is the brilliant cinematography which makes the visuals exceptional. As the movie is set in 1987, the filmmakers have made a lot of effort to recreate that era and it can be seen in the production design. The movie tends to veer towards the direction of typical Bollywood movies but for the most part it is a taut thriller with solid acting performances. Manoj Bajpayee is the pick of the actors and he is authoritative as the CBI officer. My overall impression of the movie is positive and it is definitely recommended.