Cinema has often attempted to recreate real-life terror events with sensitivity, precision and a strong focus on human stories. Over the years, several filmmakers have approached the subject with the intention of documenting resilience rather than sensationalising tragedy.
Today is a sad day for the day as this Wednesday marks 17 years of the terrorist attack in India's financial capital, carried out by the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), on November 26, 2008.
Here are five films that portrayed the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and other real terror incidents with a grounded and restrained tone.
1. Hotel Mumbai
One of the real-looking films based on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks is the 2018 movie tells the real tale of what happened at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in 2008. The international movie that is lead by Dev Patel also features Bollywood actor Anupam Kher in key roles. The film was praised for its research and for highlighting the bravery of hotel staff and guests without excessive dramatisation.
2. The Attacks of 26/11
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the 2013 film The Attacks of 26/11 deals with procedural retelling of the attacks in a style akin to a documentary. The film featuring Nana Patekar in lead role contains testimonials from law enforcement officials and focuses on the administrative response, making it one of the early cinematic attempts to document the incident without any surrealism.
3. Phantom
Kabir Khan's 2015 film is a fictionalised response set against the backdrop of the 26/11 aftermath. While it is a dramatised narrative, it takes some cue from the global counterterrorism operations and investigates the geopolitical impact of the Mumbai attacks.
4. One Less God
Based on 26/11, this Australian production that released in 2017 tells the story of a group of trapped hotel guests. The multi-perspective storyline is rooted in survivor testimonies and aimed at capturing the uncertainty of those hours.
5. United 93
Paul Greengrass's 2006 film dramatises the events that took place on United Airlines Flight 93 on the day of the 9/11 attacks. Shot in a semi-documentary style, it remains arguably among the most measured and exhaustively prepared the premises of a terror-related event of contemporary cinema.
