Thirteen years ago, on November 26, 2008, in a deadly terror attack in Mumbai, the financial capital of India, 166 civilians including several foreigners were gunned down and over 300 people were injured.
The terror attack that lasted four days was carried out by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who entered Mumbai through waterways and spread to different crowded locations of the city including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Leopold Cafe, The Oberoi Trident, Nariman House, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Cama Hospital.
While nine terrorists were killed by the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Mumbai Police during the four-day attack, one terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, was captured alive. He was hanged on November 21, 2012.
Several stories from the terror attack have been adapted into films and shows over the years. On the thirteenth year since the attack, Silverscreen India lists seven films, documentaries and series based on the incident.
1. Mumbai Diaries 26/11 (2021)
Set against the backdrop of the Mumbai terror attacks, this Hindi web series tells the stories of the doctors, nurses, paramedics and hospital staff in Mumbai who stepped in when the city faced unprecedented danger. According to the official synopsis, the web series “pays homage to the frontline workers and celebrates the undying human spirit”. The series stars Konkana Sen Sharma, Mohit Raina, Tina Desai and Shreya Dhanwanthary among several others.
2. State of Siege: 26/11 (2020)
Based on Sandip Unnithan’s book Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11, this Hindi action thriller series tells the story of the terrorist attacks from the perspective of the NSG (National Security Guard) Commandoes who were called in to counter the attacks. The series stars Arjan Bajwa, Arjun Bijlani, Jyoti Gauba, Vivek Dahiya, Tara Alisha Berry Mukul Dev and Naren Kumar in pivotal roles.
3. Hotel Mumbai (2018)
Starring several Indian and international actors including Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Jason Isaacs, Suhail Nayyar, Nagesh Bhosle, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, this Indian-Australian-American co-production is inspired by the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai based on the attack at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. “Hotel staff risk their lives to keep everyone safe as people make unthinkable sacrifices to protect themselves and their families,” reads the synopsis of the film on IMDb.
4. One Less God (2017)
This thriller drama, said to be ‘inspired by true events’ is about a group of international travellers struggling to survive when terrorists attack a luxurious Indian hotel. The film stars Kabir Singh, Joseph Mahler Taylor, Sukhraj Deepak, Mihika Rao, Kieran Kumar, Nathan Kaye, Martelle Hammer, Reilly O’Byrne-Inglis among many others.
5. Taj Mahal (2015)
This French-Belgian thriller-drama film narrates the story of 18-year-old Louise who finds herself trapped in a room at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the attack.
6. The Attacks of 26/11 (2013)
Directed by Ram Gopal Verma, this Hindi action thriller film based on the 2008 terror attack stars Sanjeev Jaiswal in the role of terrorist Ajmal Kasab. Nana Patekar also plays a pivotal role in the film.
7. Surviving Mumbai (2009)
This documentary tells the story of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as narrated by those who managed to survive it.
