Why should 26/11 films be a problem: Vinod Khanna

By Radhika Bhirani, New Delhi, Nov 24: It is not insensitive of filmmakers to bring the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks alive on the big screen, says Bollywood veteran and politician Vinod Khanna who features in such a telefilm himself because it was a tribute to the victims.

"I know and understand that the terror attack is a sensitive issue, but it's not as if people haven't seen it or heard about it. So where should be the problem in making movies about it? Filmmakers don't and won't make a movie to play with people's emotions," Khanna told IANS over phone from hill station of Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra.

"If at all films on 26/11 are being made, they should try and show what happened to those who lost their near and dear ones - how they coped up with life and what after-effects it had on the common man," added the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MP.

The telefilm starring Khanna is titled "Unn Hazaroon Ke Naam" and has multiple stories - each a personal tale of tragedy running parallel to each other. It will be aired Thursday on STAR Plus at 10 p.m. with a repeat telecast Friday at 8 p.m.

Asked why he agreed to do it, Khanna said: "This project was for a cause - a tribute to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks. The production thought I was suitable for the role and I quite liked the project.

"I play a father whose son and daughter-in-law get shot at CST and how his grandson escapes the gunshot. The movie is about such people who lost their near and dear ones in the siege. It shows how many people were left traumatised after the incident and then how these people come in touch to face it and come to terms with it."

The 63-year-old, who is currently shooting in Mahabaleshwar with Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan and Dimple Kapadia for the film "Dabang", recalled his own whereabouts when 10 terrorists struck at key locations in India's financial capital Nov 26 last year.

"I was at my house at that time. Usually I step out of my place around 10.30 p.m. but then I saw this whole thing happening and decided to stay in. I couldn't imagine something like that could happen," he said.

He lost three close friends in the attack. "Three of my close friends were killed. Another person I know got shot at but god willing, he survived," added Khanna.

Khanna believes the terror attack and its extended duration was a "major intelligence failure".

"The whole incident was a result of an assured lack of preparedness. It took so long to take decisions and implement them. But I believe now security is being given much-required focus. I have been reading a lot about the changes in the security system and I hope it works well," he said.

A year after the dreadful incident, the actor says he treads the Mumbai streets without any fear.

"Mumbai always bounces back. The city has been through so much - bombs, riots, terror attacks. But the whole ethos of Mumbai lies in the very fact that life never stops here. There is no fear but always a concern - that's why Mumbai always becomes a target all the time."