While the Coronavirus lockdown phase was tough for people around the globe, Ali Fazal found solace in comedian Russell Brand, his co-star from an upcoming Hollywood film. Ali will be seen in the murder mystery Death On The Nile, which features an impressive ensemble cast. Ali says, “It was nice to get to know everyone’s take on acting. It was dream come true to be working with such a great cast — Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, Kenneth Branagh and Russell Brand to name a few. Russell kept me sane during the lockdown last year. Interacting with him virtually was great… I even told him that.”

Talking about his other co-stars in the film, Ali shares, “Gal is wonderful to work with, and I had met Armie before. Yes, I had to work on my British accent for the film, but that is not something I want to boast about. An actor has to do whatever it takes to get into his character. It’s expected of us.”

Recalling an interesting incident during the shoot, he says, “Working on this film felt like a party, but no one ever lost focus. Ken (director Kenneth Branagh) made sure we got along well and got to know each other. For the shoot, we were on our way to the cruise in a small boat. It was a 20-minute journey, and on the way, he made these chits. And we played a quiz, which helped us to get to know each other. That was such a nice gesture.”

Dev Patel will be in the city next week to shoot a thriller based on the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 13, 2016)

On Tuesday, Armie Hammer, best known for his portrayal of the Winklevoss twins in David Fincher’s The Social Network filmed in South Mumbai till dawn. The American actor had landed in Mumbai five days ago with British co-star Jason Isaacs aka Harry Potter’s Lucius Malfoy to kick off the second schedule of Anthony Maras’s Hotel Mumbai.

Next Tuesday, they will be joined by Slumdog Millionaire’s Jamal Malik Dev Patel who is also the executive producer on the film. The 26-year-old actor is presently at the BFI London Film Festival where his next film, Lion, which also features Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara, premiered on October 11. Incidentally, among the locations for his Mumbai portions in the film is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus where he had shot the climax song of the Danny Boyle’s Oscar winning film nine years ago.

Hotel Mumbai’s screenplay, penned by John Collee and Anthony Maras, is based on Victoria Midwinter Pitt’s Emmy-winning 2009 documentary, Surviving Mumbai, a real-life account of the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai by a group of heavily-armed militants. For 68 hours, hundreds were held hostage inside the Taj Mahal Hotel — one of the target spots —as the terrorists and Indian security forces exchanged fire. When the smoke cleared, more than 160 people were dead and many more injured.

The film features Dev Patel as Arjun, a waiter at the hotel, Anupam Kher as ex Taj chef Hemant Oberoi, Armie Hammer and Iranian-American actress Nazanin Boniadi as a couple trapped in the hotel with their four-day baby. Twenty-two-year-old Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays the baby’s nanny, Sally, while Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo is another tourist.

“The first schedule wrapped up in August in Adelaide where the hotel was recreated. This schedule will be filmed over the next 40 days in South Mumbai as well as on a set in Film City. Most of the actors won’t be in the same frame together but everyone hang out over chicken tikkas and biryani between shots. The first schedule wrapped up with a bash at an Indian restaurant in Adelaide with the cast binging on desi khaana,” a source close to the development informed Mirror.

The Australian-American co-production is being directed by Anthony Maras, an Australian filmmaker best known for the award-winning thriller, The Palace, which followed a refugee family fleeing Turkish forces in Cyprus in 1974.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; October 3, 2016)


Hotel Mumbai recreates the ghastly incidents pertaining to the 26/11 attack on the Taj Mahal Palace & Hotel in Mumbai. Cast member Anupam Kher says, “We have already shot a large part of the film in Australia. Now, we shoot in Mumbai. This is my 501st film. It is one of the most important films of my career.”

Anupam is very pleased with the research undertaken by Maras and his team. Kher adds that the film will take a humane — rather than a political — view of the attack that shook Mumbai in 2008. “It’s sad but terror attacks are all about statistics we read in the newspaper. They happen so frequently that we have stopped reacting to them on a humane level. It’s about how many people died and we move on. This film changes that sense of detachment we’ve developed about terror attacks.”

Anupam Kher (left) with co-star, Armie Hammer
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 19, 2016)

For almost a month, Anupam Kher has been quietly shooting in Australia for a Hollywood project, 'Hotel Mumbai', based on the 26/11 terror attacks. Anupam Kher essays the character of celebrity chef Hemant Oberoi, who, as the corporate chef of the under-attack Taj Mahal Hotel, kept the kitchen running to serve guests amidst the mayhem.

Speaking to hitlist from Adelaide, Anupam Kher says, "The hotel has been recreated at Adelaide Studios. We are shooting the indoor scenes here."

Due to contractual obligations, the actor does not reveal more about his character. He, however, says, "It is not an autobiographical work. It is about what unfolded in those 68 hours at the hotel. It is a story of courage of the people who were working there."

Anupam Kher's co-stars include Jason Isaacs, Armie Hammer, Dev Patel and Tilda Boniadi. Directed by Anthony Maras, the film is inspired by docu filmmaker Andrew Ogilvie's 'Surviving Mumbai'. Ogilvie is also one of the co-producers and has written the screenplay with John Collee ('Master and Commander', 'Happy Feet').

The project is a co-production with Hollywood producers Basil Iwanyk ('Gods of Egypt', 'Sicario'), Gary Hamilton and Mike Gabrawy ('Jungle', 'Nest' and 'Resident Evil'), Jomon Thomas ('The Man Who Knew Infinity', 'Damascus Cover'), Julie Ryan ('Red Dog', 'Ten Canoes') and documentary filmmaker Andrew Ogilvie ('Surviving Mumbai', 'The War That Changed US').

Adds Anupam Kher, "'Hotel Mumbai' is my 501st film. I am treating it as my first film post the interval of my career. I have no Bollywood projects in hand at the moment. I hope to be back with a bang after a break."

'Hotel Mumbai' came his way recently. He says, "They contacted my representatives in London and Los Angeles, and soon, I found myself flying to Adelaide for the shoot."

Why Australia? "It is an Australian co-production, so parts will be shot here and later, we move to Mumbai," he explains.

Anupam Kher's earlier Hollywood films include 'Bend It Like Beckham' (2002), 'Lust, Caution' (2007) and 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012).

Other films on 26/11
Ten Pakistani terrorists turned Mumbai into a war zone, holding major landmarks such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel under siege for three days, starting November 28, 2008. It inspired a few films:
>> Ram Gopal Varma's 2013 docu-drama, 'The Attacks of 26/11', was inspired by the terror attacks, which claimed 160-odd lives and left hundreds injured.
>> Frenchman Nicolas Saada's 'Taj Mahal' tells the story of the attack through a woman (Stacy Martin) stuck in one of the hotel rooms. The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in the US last year, and later travelled to the Venice International Film Festival.
>> Justin Kurzel has announced a film on the 26/11 attacks, which will be an adaptation of Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark's book, 'The Siege: 68 Hours Inside The Taj Hotel'. 


Taj star chef Hemant Oberoi

The 62-year-old, started his cooking career with Taj four decades ago and gradually rose to become the hospitality chain's chief chef. Among other dishes, Oberoi introduced naza (naan pizza) and gulab jamun creme brulee. He also witnessed the hotel’s worst tragedy — the 26/11 terror attacks. He retired in May 2015, but continued his association with the hotel for a year as a consultant.