Arjun Rampal recently shared a personal and harrowing account of his experience during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Speaking at a recent event, he revealed that the tragic events of 2008 happened on his birthday, leaving an indelible mark on his life. For Arjun, his latest role in the film Dhurandhar: The Revenge served as more than just a professional project. It was a way to process the trauma he witnessed firsthand.
Recalling the night of the attacks, Arjun shared that he was at a hotel to pick up friends. The group had planned to celebrate his birthday at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel. However, as they were on their way, the first signs of the terror began to emerge. He mentioned witnessing the impact of the initial blast at Mahim.
Describing the moment of the explosion, Arjun said, “I heard that sound, and the whole glass kind of shook and rattled, and we were like, ‘What the hell was that?’ Within 10 minutes, our phones started ringing, and everyone said there was some gang war that had broken out in Colaba.”
As the situation escalated, the scale of the attacks became clearer. Within 30 minutes, the Four Seasons hotel, where Arjun was located, was cordoned off. He mentioned that Adarsh Jatia provided him with a suite, advising him that it was not safe to leave.
Arjun recalled, “On my birthday, I saw the horrors of 26/11 play out.” The aftermath of the night was equally difficult. He shared that during his drive home the next morning, he had to stop his car three times because what he had seen made him feel physically ill.
Years later, when director Aditya Dhar approached him for Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the script resonated with him on a personal level. In the film, Arjun plays the character of Major Iqbal. Upon hearing the narration of the 26/11 sequence, he felt it was an opportunity to channel his past experiences.
He said, “When Aditya Dhar narrated the 26/11 sequence to me, I knew I was going to have my revenge, and that’s what I did with Dhurandhar.” Ending his statement on a patriotic note, he added, “All I want to say is, Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”
Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which released in theatres on March 19, features a star-studded cast including Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Akshaye Khanna. The film has been a major success at the box office, crossing the Rs 600 crore mark in India within just four days of its release.
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