Bhubaneswar: On November 26, 2008, the world witnessed one of the goriest and dreadful terrorist attacks of the era. The Taj Mahal Palace was coloured red in the blood of innocent hostages and policemen, commandos who fought regardless of the danger circling their life. There have been many movies and books on that attack by the terrorist group Laskhar-e-Taiba.
Here are five such documentaries and movies based on the deadly attack that terrified Mumbai and rest of the world for four days and the years that followed.
- Terror in Mumbai – This 2009 HBO documentary has put together some original footage, clips and audios of the horrifying killings that took place in the hotel. It starts with a narration of what the real incident was like and the terrorists involved. Armed men can be seen mercilessly shooting whoever comes their way, successfully executing their heinous objectives.https://youtu.be/JDROrLtc6GM
- Mumbai Massacre- This 2009 documentary of PBS series, “Secrets of the Dead”. Another documentary titled ‘Surviving Mumbai’ is also the same except a slightly longer running time for the American TV episode. The narrator for Surviving Mumbai was Pamela Rabe while Liev Schreiber for the other.
Picture Courtesy: NBC Chicago - The attacks of 26/11– Two days after the attack, filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma along with the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his son, actor Ritesh Deshmukh went to the Taj Hotel. Based on their observations and the stories, Verma made a docu-drama-action thriller starring Sanjeev Jaiswal in his film debut, who played the role of Ajmal Kasab. The movie also features Nana Patekar in a pivotal role. The film was released on November 23 in 2012. The film was passed uncut and certified for ‘Adults Only’, by The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Picture Courtesy: amazon - Baandhon- An Assamese filmmaker, Jahnu Barua, made this movie in 2012 portraying the different side of the attack – the feelings of survivors’ loved ones. This was released in English titled ‘Waves of Silence’ and stars Bishnu Kharghoria and Bina Patangia in the lead roles. Produced by Assam State Film Corporation Limited, the film was released in India in selected PVR theaters on July 5, 2013.
https://youtu.be/JImHfLZP8A8 - Taj Mahal– French filmmaker Nicolas Saada made this film on the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel in Mumbai near the gateway of India. This film was released in Venice Film Festival 2015, that tells the story of a teenager, played by Stacy Martin. She comes to Mumbai with her parents and stays at the Taj and eventually, gets trapped when the terrorists attack the hotel while her parents go out for dinner.
https://youtu.be/iXeZ_afcBbA
One of the martyrs Ashok Kamte’s wife, Vinita Kamte authored a book titled ‘The Last Bullet’. It is co-authored by Deshmukh Vinita and the book chronicles the life of Ashok and the attack. The book will soon be turned into a documentary.
