Ordinary man of extraordinary courage

In the banquet hall of a suburban hotel Hemant Oberoi paces up and down Not many recognise one of the citys most famous chefs now the owner of restaurants in Mumbai Singapore and San Diego Just then Anupam Kher walks in spots Oberoi and makes a dash to give him a hugKher plays Oberoi in the upcoming Anthony Maras thriller Hotel Mumbai It tells the story of what transpired at The Taj Mahal Palace amp Towers at Apollo Bunder on the night of November 26 2008 when militants from the Lashkare Taiba stormed the fivestar in a series of coordinated attacks The hotel was the perfect target a symbol of Mumbais progress and pride and a catchment areas for foreign guestsIts been over 10 years but Oberois voice dips when he speaks of the night when his staff intervened to save the lives of scores of visitors by forming a human chain We just stuck to each other that night No one wanted to leave The courage of that team is rare to find I lost seven chefs including my deputy who walked me home every night until thenIncidentally Kher and Oberoi have met only once before this chat at the Toronto International Film Festival last year where the film premiegravered I did the film without meeting him Oberoi That night at TIFF Chef was the special guest I remember the standing ovation we got It was neverending It was the triumph for his courage I am glad we are finally getting time to spend time today and I also had the privilege to serve him food cooked at my home Kher says warmly which Oberoi quickly calls delicious and made with love It was simple lunch they tell us of aloo methi dal and roti with dahi on the side Its the rare time Kher and Oberoi are smilingA mention of 2611 brings back the seriousness to the discussion as Kher recounts that he was in Bandra that night Everyone remembers two incidents of terror in modern world historymdash911 and 2611 When I was told that I would play Chef Oberoi I was nervous What would his reaction be It wasnt just about how well I could act There was a lot more at stake It was a portrayal of someones intensity and normalcy in a time of adversityOberoi has not said anything about the film to Kher except thank youHe was absolutely and totally me He got every nuance right My demeanour the way I command the kitchen No one could have done it as beautifully He was composed in every shot and knew exactly how I managed things that night He brought back way too many memoriesKher turns to him to say This the complement is bigger than any awardHemant Oberoi and Anupam Kher Pic Ashish RajeWe wonder how he prepped without meeting the man he plays and Kher shares that five minutes before the first shot was taken for his debut film Saaransh director Mahesh Bhatt told him that this was a character who was all about compassion Compassion had to be the dominating emotion in the film It was the same with this film too 500 movies after I did my first Kher saysOn cue Oberoi him that he named his child Saaransh after he watched the 1984 film about a retired school teacher and his wife coming to terms with the death of their only child who is killed in a mugging incident in New York Because I loved him in the film I named my son after it Incidentally Saaranshs wedding was the first event to be hosted at the Taj after it was restored and reopened post 2611 I wanted to do it to put the message out there that you cant break our spiritKher credits his performance to the script which he calls unflinchingly honest in its depiction of the chefs character Kher and Oberoi concede that their favourite scene is the one towards the middle of the film when Kher announces to his staff that they can leave the hotel if they want to be safe One of my staffers had to undergo dialysis every day Even he didnt leave Saath mein chalenge he had said He passed on recently but survived that night Oberoi remembers And so while the story is of the horrors that unfolded leading to the death of 166 people across the city the film reinstates faith in the human spirit Its about the heroism of ordinary people We need to bring examples of extraordinary courage to the fore Kher feelsOberoi carries on his face a calmness that Kher beautifully portrays Chef says he draws serenity from the sea The high and low tide come and go Marine Drive is my place to find peace I believe in karma and destiny When you see people closest to you dying you want to celebrate life Fishermen that night hailed three cabs to take me to various hospitals so that I could track down my staff scattered across wards and morguesDespite this an international review snubbed the film calling it out for depicting terrorism in a popcorn movie Kher brushes aside the criticism It suits them when they want to make a film about World War and the Holocaust When it comes to India we cant make such films Lets ignore the international media There should be films made on such subjects It is a fact that 10 people from a neighbouring country came here and killed the innocent This film needs to be screened in IndiaAn unfazed Oberoi has the final word I want people to remember to do good deeds be humane You never know when you can find yourself in a similar situation Help others We also had the option to escape but its necessary to not fall for the trap that takes us further away from human valuesCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates