It’s a terrible, terrible situation

The entertainment industry is in a state of shock over the multiple terrorist attacks here, killing 101 people and injuring nearly 287. While superstar Amitabh Bachchan described it as a “terrible situation”, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore termed it "devastating" and akin to her own house burning.

“Mumbai is under terrorist attack. Several locations have been bombed and terrorists are firing all over the city. Major hotels are under seige. Multiple action on. Army called out. Terrible! Terrible situation,” wrote Amitabh on his blog.

Sharmila, who is in Mumbai to shoot for a film, was devastated with the audacious terror attacks that started on Wednesday night and felt that there is "no near end to such activities".

"I am from Mumbai. I've been here for so long that it was really devastating to see all that is happening in the city. There seems to be no near end to these terror activities," Sharmila, who is also the Censor Board chief, told IANS.

"I was shooting in Madh Island yesterday (Wednesday), but because of the situation shooting was halted and we were asked to stay indoors. We hope to resume our work from tomorrow, but nothing can be said right now. We have to take each day as it comes," she informed.

Sharmila has fond memories of the Taj Mahal Hotel, one of the two under siege.

"Initially, when I came to Mumbai, I stayed in the Taj Mahal hotel for a very long time. So when I saw the hotel burning, I felt as if my house is burning," said a gloomy Sharmila.

Commenting on the security, she said: “I don't understand how did the terrorists manage to take so much RDX inside the hotel? Only day before yesterday (Tuesday) I was at the Taj Hotel, even our Aviation Minister Praful Patel was there and there was so much security. My bag was properly checked. How did things became so bad?” she wondered.

Asked about her children, actors Saif Ali Khan and Soha she said: "Both Saif and Soha are out of the country and doing well. Saif is in Philadelphia and Soha is in Cape Town. Both of them are on their respective shooting schedules."

Filmmaker Kaushik Ghatak, who recently directed “Ek Vivaah… Aisa Bhi”, said the situation in Mumbai was “unfortunate”.

“I know we can't do anything about it but it is still very disturbing. So many people have been killed. So many able officers have also been killed. This is a big loss for the country,” said Ghatak.

The director foresees a negative effect of the attack on Bollywood. He said: “The industry will definitely be affected. As it is, so many producers are planning to set up their studios outside Mumbai. Even though no place is safe at the moment, repeated attacks are making the city even more unsafe.

“If attacks continue, people will not shoot in Mumbai and would prefer going out for entire shooting schedules. I have been glued to the TV set and have not gone anywhere. They have attacked places which we visit often.”

Mumbai saw an audacious terror attack where terrorists went on the rampage on Wednesday night. On target were high profile landmarks, including the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, Metro Theatre and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) railway station.

Could the young men behind the dastardly terror attack in the city have been influenced by a string of terror films - Bollywood and foreign - as their modus operandi shows an uncanny resemblance to some of the movies, including the recent "A Wednesday” and "Die Hard”.

The Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher starrer "A Wednesday", which revolves around a fateful Wednesday when a man (Naseer) calls up retiring commissioner of police Prakash Rathod (Anupam) and tells him that he has planted bombs in five places around the city, brings alive the panic and havoc shown in the film.

The terror strikes also resemble the Aamir Khan starrer “Baazi” (1995) and the first installment of Bruce Willis starrer “Die Hard” (1988) in which innocent people are taken hostage.

Ram Gopal Verma's action thriller "Contract" that released on July 18 had unintentionally given a kind of preview of the modus operandi used by terrorists in the July 26 Ahmedabad bombings. The film shows terrorists planning low-intensity strikes first and then bombing the hospitals where the injured are taken to - just as it uncannily happened in the actual bombing 10 days later.

Other movies that have been based on terrorism in Bollywood have been “Mission Istanbul”, "Mumbai Meri Jaan", "Hijack", "Black & White", "Fanaa", "Black Friday", "Mission Kashmir", "Dil Se", "Sarfarosh", "Roja" and "Bombay" among others.

Govind Nihalani's "Drohkal", Ayesha Dharker starrer "Terrorist" and Mani Ratnam's critically-acclaimed "Kannathil Mutthamittal" were also on terrorism.

Sunny Deol too delivered an array of movies, including "Jaal: The Trap" and "Jo Bole So Nihaal".

Other films on terrorism are "Fiza", "Sheen", "Dhokha", "Qayamat: City Under Threat", "Hindustan Ki Kasam", "Zameen", "Pukar", "Dus", "Yahaan", "Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota" and "December 16".

Britain based filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra's "Shoot At Sight" and Pakistani director Shoaib Mansoor's controversial "Khuda Kay Liye" also brought back the memories of such attacks, showing terrorists attacking without any reason and causing casualties.

Indo-Asian News Service

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