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    From real to reel: 26/11 Mumbai attacks captured in films, books

    Synopsis

    Over the years, several films and books have tried to portray the terrifying sequence of events that unfolded on that ill-fated night.

    Here are a few shows, films and books that have tried to revisit the terror attack.Agencies
    Here are a few shows, films and books that have tried to revisit the terror attack.
    Thirteen years ago on November 26, Mumbai came to a grinding halt after a series of orchestrated terror attacks. Ten terrorists belonging to the notorious Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit based in Pakistan, unleashed hours of carnage as they stormed 12 iconic spots in the city including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (earlier known as Victoria) Terminus, Leopold Cafe and The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.

    A few years after the 26/11 terror attack shook the country's financial hub, several films and books have attempted to portray the terrifying sequence of events that unfolded. The works of art - culled from eyewitness accounts and reportage by investigators among other things- have tried to present the ghastly massacre and its aftermath, and how the survivors have tried to come to terms with it.

    Here are a few shows, films and books that have tried to revisit the terror attack.

    'Mumbai Diaries' (2021)
    '​Mumbai Diaries'Agencies
    'Mumbai Diaries'
    Directed by Nikhil Advani and Nikhil Gonsalves, this show made its debut on Amazon Prime earlier in September. Over eight episodes, it tried to depict those chilling nights of terror by recreating many visuals from the real event in its fictional depiction. Some critics found the show trying to juggle too many subplots and backstories, with most not coming across as wholesome or convincing. Starring Mohit Raina, Konkona Sen Sharma and Shreya Dhanwanthary among others, the show does a recap of the night of terror when things go horribly wrong, in the backdrop of a crumbling hospital.

    'Hotel Mumbai' (2019)
    Hotel MumbaiAgencies
    'Hotel Mumbai'
    The action-thriller directed by Anthony Maras attempted to portray the fight of humanity in the face of tragedy. The film essentially shows how the staff at Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel risked their lives to keep everyone safe and the extremes that families went to in order to save their loved ones. The film stars ‘Slumdog Millionaire’-fame Dev Patel, Anupam Kher, Amandeep Singh and Suhail Nayyar amongst others.

    'One Less God' (2017)
    One Less GodAgencies
    'One Less God'
    Away from politics and policemen, ‘One Less God’ tried to show on screen the ordeal faced by international travellers who were victimised at the hands of terrorists and ended up losing their lives. It shows the struggle of a group of travellers to survive after the hotel in which they were staying is attacked by terrorists. The film stars Joseph Mahler Taylor, Sukhraj Deepak, Mihika Rao and Kabir Singh among others.

    'Phantom' (2015)
    PhantomAgencies
    'Phantom'
    The Katrina Kaif and Saif Ali Khan-starrer ‘Phantom’ is one of the few Indian commercial films that took into account the heinous attack of 26/11. The film does not directly deal with the attacks, but they play an important role in the overall script. The screenplay is an adaptation of the book ‘Mumbai Avengers’ written by author S Hussain Zaidi. The movie is directed by Kabir Khan and written by Parveez Sheikh, Kausar Munir and Kabir Khan.

    'The Attacks Of 26/11' (2013)
    'The Attacks Of 26/11'Agencies
    'The Attacks Of 26/11'
    Ram Gopal Verma’s ‘The Attacks Of 26/11’ is probably the only film in Bollywood which traces the entire sequence of events which took place on the fateful day. Nana Patekar plays Mumbai top cop Rakesh Maria who handled the investigations. The film also stars Atul Kulkarni, Ganesh Yadav, and Sadh Orhan amongst others.

    'The Siege: The Attack on the Taj'
    Written by Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy, this one gives an insider view of the 2008 attacks on The Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. Based on extensive research by the authors, this includes unreleased documents from the trial of Ajmal Kasab in India. Published in 2013, the book kicks off with daily proceedings in the busy hotel before going onto harrowing details of the attacks.

    '14 Hours: An Insider’s Account of the 26/11 Taj Attack'
    Written by Ankur Chawla in 2012, this is an eyewitness account, literally. Chawla, who was an operations management trainee at The Taj Mahal Palace hotel in 2008, recounts the hours of horror as Mumbai and the iconic hotel is bullet-riddled by coordinated terrorist attacks. The book lists details about the interiors of the hotel, his interaction with his colleagues and the guests on that night. It was published by Rupa Publications in 2012, and is available in paperback.
    Books on 26/11Agencies

    'Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11'
    Written by journalist Sandeep Unnithan, this book narrates the story of the marine commandos who were called into action during the desperate hours following one of the ghastliest attacks that India has witnessed. Published on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the attacks, this is an intricate account of the strike and how India's security forces thwarted it. In 2020, it was also adapted into a web-series that premiered on Zee5.

    '26/11 Mumbai Attacked'
    Seasoned journalist Harinder Baweja's book is a compilation of research, journalist accounts, police officials' statements and everything that went on during the attack on Mumbai. It includes analyses, interviews and reportage of the gruesome incident.

    'The Betrayal of India: Revisiting the 26/11 Evidence'
    Written by Elias Davidsson, this 2017 book looks critically at the official narrative of 26/11. It is sourced from court documents and reports in the news media.

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