&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'On my birthday, I saw the horrors of 26/11': Here's why Arjun Rampal calls Dhurandhar his revenge")
Arjun Rampal is currently enjoying the success of Dhurandhar: The Revenge. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the spy-thriller has created several records at the box office. Rampal, who played Major Iqbal in the film, recently opened up about his memory from the night of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and how his birthday turned into a nightmare.
Rampal recalls the 2008 Mumbai attacks
During his appearance at HELLO! Hall of Fame Awards in Mumbai on Sunday, the actor revealed how Dhurandhar was a "revenge" for the 26/11 attack.
Rampal's birthday falls on November 26, and in the year 2008, he had a plan to celebrate the day with his friends at the Taj Hotel, which was also targeted during the attacks. "In 2008, during 26/11, I was in this hotel. I had come to pick up my friends. We were on our way to the Taj Hotel because we were going to go and celebrate my birthday and 26/11 also happened to be my birthday," he said. "One guy was getting ready. God bless him. We were at the bar, and we ordered a drink and the first bomb went off near Mahim. I heard that sound and the whole glass kind of shook and rattled, and we were like, 'what the hell was that'?"
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Recalling the terrifying night, he added, "In 10 minutes, our phones were ringing and everybody said there was some gang war that had broken out in Colaba. In 20-30 minutes, the whole of Four Seasons (hotel) was cordoned off. Adarsh Jatia (Managing Director, Provenance Land, owner of Four Seasons Hotel) very gracefully gave me a suite and said 'you could stay here for the night, but we can't let anybody go out, it's not safe'. And on my birthday, I saw the horrors of 26/11 play out."
Dhurandhar is a revenge
Rampal added that the film allowed him to deal with the trauma. "In the morning when I drove back home, I had to stop at least three times because I thought I was going to be sick. When Aditya Dhar narrated to me the 26/11 scene, I knew I was going to have my revenge, and that's what I did with Dhurandhar. And all I want to say is Bharat Mata Ki Jai."
About Dhurandhar: The Revenge
Helmed by Dhar, the cast features Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, and Rakesh Bedi, alongside Singh and Rampal. The story revolves around an Indian spy who infiltrates the political and criminal networks in Lyari, Pakistan. The sequel has reportedly crossed the ₹700 crore mark worldwide in less than one week of its release.
