In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, he recalled his experience, “I was shooting in Bandra when we first heard that a gang war had broken out in SoBo. Then we learned about the siege on CSMT station, it was horrifying! It was like when we watched the second plane crashing into the South Tower of the World Trade Centre in the 9/11 attacks back in 2001. The same frustration and helplessness because we couldn’t reach those known to us.”
He felt that previous versions of films handled insensitively on the attacks and wanted to hear the narration when he was offered a role in this film.
“Anthony Maras (director) is a foreigner and this is his first film, and that made me unsure. But our half-hour meeting went on for three-and-half hours as the film is not just about the attack but is also a tribute to its unsung heroes. It’s about the extraordinary courage of ordinary people.”
Hotel Mumbai also features Dev Patel. Anupam Kher revealed, “I feel proud to see Indian actors doing such amazing work. In the last shot, both Dev and I actually had tears in our eyes.”
The film is set to hit theatres on November 22.
