Kavita Awaasthi (HNDUSTAN TIMES; November 21, 2019)

Actor Anupam Kher is ecstatic that the 501st movie of his career is Hotel Mumbai — a film that celebrates real-life heroes of the 26/11 terror attacks in the city. “In today’s tech-driven world, we are losing out on human emotions. This film taught me to have compassion for unknown people. We are on an online pursuit constantly, losing out on humanity. We are apprehensive about strangers, we don’t trust people. The film taught me that one should be courageous. It’s important to be compassionate,” opines the 64-year-old.

Initially, Kher was sceptical about doing the film, as earlier offerings on this subject, were “bad”, according to the actor. Director Anthony Maras is a “sensible, compassionate man, who has research for the film”, feels Kher, saying, “While he was telling a tale of terrorism, he was talking about the courage of ordinary people. That aspect hooked me and I wanted to be a part of this film. We did workshops where he wanted us to feel what people must have gone through while they’re trapped in the hotel. To evoke emotions, he showed us real footage of the shoot, and would play sounds of gun shots without warning. Shooting for the film was mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting.”

Kher enjoyed working with Hollywood actors Dev Patel and Armie Hammer. He says, “Dev is a wonderful boy. After shooting, we would chat and became each other’s emotional support. We became a family.”