...
...
Next Story

Arjun Rampal recalls witnessing 26/11 horrors on his birthday, says Dhurandhar was his ‘revenge’

Dhurandhar portrays the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Actor Arjun Rampal, who experienced the attacks first-hand, described working on the film as personal revenge.

Published on: Mar 23, 2026, 12:21:05 IST
Advertisement

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, which released in December last year, depicted the harrowing night of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, leaving audiences shaken. During his recent appearance at the HELLO! Hall of Fame Awards, Arjun Rampal recalled witnessing the horrors of the attacks first-hand and revealed how working on Dhurandhar felt like a form of personal revenge.

Arjun Rampal recalls experiencing the horrors of 26/11 terror attack

Arjun Rampal essayed the role of ISI Major Iqbal in Dhurandhar.
Arjun Rampal essayed the role of ISI Major Iqbal in Dhurandhar.

Arjun shared that in 2008, during the attacks, he was at a hotel to pick up his friends. He revealed that they were on their way to the Taj Hotel to celebrate his birthday when the first explosion occurred near Mahim.

Recalling the moment, the actor said, “I heard that sound and the whole glass kind of shook and rattled, and we were like, ‘What the hell was that?’ Within 10 minutes, our phones started ringing and everyone said there was some gang war that had broken out in Colaba. In 20–30 minutes, the entire Four Seasons hotel was cordoned off. Adarsh Jatia very graciously gave me a suite and said, ‘You can stay here for the night, but we can’t let anybody go out, it’s not safe.’”

In Dhurandhar, Arjun Rampal essayed the role of ISI Major Iqbal, one of the key handlers behind the attack. His character is shown celebrating and partying while being in live contact with the terrorists at the hotel. In the sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, Ranveer Singh’s character Hamza takes his revenge and kills Iqbal after a brutal confrontation. The film also features Rakesh Bedi, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun and R Madhavan among others in key roles.

About Dhurandhar: The Revenge’s success

The first instalment of Aditya Dhar’s film collected 1,300 crore worldwide at the box office. Following its massive success, fans eagerly awaited Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which opened to positive reviews and a bumper start, collecting 145 crore on its first day. In just four days, the film has reportedly crossed 450 crore at the domestic box office and 750 crore worldwide. The film continues to enjoy a strong run in theatres.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Riya Sharma

Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting viral pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical release or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments.

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.

Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.

Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe