Anthony Maras' film Hotel Mumbai picks up on real phone transcripts from 26/11

Mumbai, Nov 7 (IANS): Filmmaker Anthony Maras, who helms the upcoming film Hotel Mumbai, says he used transcripts of original phone conversations between the staff at The Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai and the rescue team during the fateful 26/11 attack.

Hotel Mumbai is based on the brutal 26/11 terrorist attacks of 2008. The film stars Dev Patel, Anupam Kher, Armie Hammer and Nazanin Boniadi.

Maras and co-writer John Collee were not only able to gauge the situation better through the recordings but these recordings also rendered authenticity to the dialogues.

Maras said: "It all started when I saw the Surviving Mumbai documentary. We got very easy access to the transcripts and access to the people who have lived through it. We spent a great deal of time just listening and making the focus on these stories. We met them in person or via video calls to get access to just hearing of what these survivors had to say, to know what was it to live through such an experience."

Hotel Mumbai will release on November 29, in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu languages. The film is presented by Zee Studios & Purpose Entertainment.