What do I even begin to say about this movie? Before sitting down to write this blog I have gushed about this movie to every other person who has mentioned it. Based on a true story Hotel Mumbai depicts the horrific terror attacks that happened in the famous Taj hotel in Mumbai. 10 members of an Islamic terrorist group carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai causing global condemnation. With 1000 guests and 500 staff trapped in the Taj hotel, it was up to a few loyal employees to protect the lot. With the phrase in mind “guest is god”,  many of the hotel staff proved their loyalty, risking their own lives to serve their guests. Talk about good customer service. A waiter, a chef, a concierge and receptionists went to lengths to carry out their duty. Making sure the Guests stay out of sight from the terrorists, escorting them to the secret chambers of the hotel where they would be safest and refusing to call guests in their room despite being held by gunpoint. The events that unfolded all held high stakes making me feel like I was at the scene itself. I had goosebumps and my heart was racing throughout the whole film and that was a remarkable feeling to have as I was in the safety of the comfy theatre seat.  I am not much of a crier but throw in a baby caught in such an awful situation and you best believe I was crying buckets.

The characters were portrayed in such a way that it made you care for them, worry about them and feel for them all at the same time. This film had a great way of making you reflect and think about what you would do in that situation and what would be important to you at that moment or rather who’s life is worth saving, your own or the ones you love. More than just perfectly depicting the event, the script took its time to tackle issues many do not consider. The film touched on racial and religious profiling projected on certain groups of people. For instance, a hotel guest was uncomfortable with one of the staff’s turbans associating it with the terrorists but he carefully explained to her what it meant to him, giving the audience, a wake-up call about fully understanding someone's faith before making offensive assumptions. What shocked me most was the light shed on the terrorists and how they are merely brainwashed young teenagers who were desperate to help their families. Despite the terrorists being the obvious villains in the movie, there were anecdotes where you feel sorry for them and actually sympathise with their situation.Hotel Mumbai is a must watch and I am really excited to see this film win many awards during award season as it deserves all the recognition in the world.

Written by: Karisha Partabrai