Hotel Mumbai (2018)
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A group of strangers must fight to survive a coordinated terrorist attack at a luxury hotel in Mumbai.
The story
On November 26, 2008, a variety of guests, including a British-Iranian heiress and an ex-Spetznaz operative, find themselves at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. That night, the hotel becomes a primary target in a coordinated assault by terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Taiba organization. As the local police struggle to respond, the guests are trapped within the hotel's confines. Amidst the chaos, a hotel worker named Arjun must navigate the unfolding violence to ensure the safety of the guests while they are caught between the attackers and the desperate attempts of the authorities to contain the situation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On November 26, 2008, Arjun, a hotel waiter, works at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. The guest list includes Zahra Kashani, her husband David, their son, a nanny named Sally, and an ex-Spetznaz operative named Vasili. A coordinated terrorist attack by Lashkar-e-Taiba strikes the hotel. While the police wait for reinforcements, Arjun attempts to move guests to safety. David manages to reach Sally and their son, but he is captured by terrorists. Arjun leads others to the Chambers Lounge, while a police officer, DC Vam, attempts to reach the security room. During the siege, several guests are killed or captured. The terrorist leader, 'the Bull', eventually orders his men to burn the hotel and kill the remaining hostages. One terrorist, Imran, is left to execute the hostages but spares Zahra when she recites a prayer. Arjun eventually reunites with the remaining survivors. The film ends with a real-life memorial and footage of the hotel's reopening.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 125
- Production countries
- Australia; India; United States
- Original languages
- English; Hindi
- Directors
- Anthony Maras
- Writers
- John Collee · writer; Anthony Maras · writer
- Cast and characters
- Dev Patel; Armie Hammer; Nazanin Boniadi; Tilda Cobham-Hervey; Anupam Kher; Jason Isaacs; Suhail Nayyar; Nagesh Bhosle; Natasha Liu Bordizzo · Bree
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- survival; terrorism; humanity
- Tone and mood
- tense; harrowing
- Premise and plot tags
- based on true events; action; thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- Surviving Mumbai (2009 documentary)
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising its visceral depiction of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the performances of the ensemble cast, particularly Anupam Kher.
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai.; The film was pulled from cinemas in New Zealand due to the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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