Hotel Mumbai, a film about the 2008 attack on a hotel in the Indian city, received a standing ovation at its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month, and the cast and filmmakers said they believe that was because of the human portrayal not only of the victims but also the perpetrators.
Starring Dev Patel, Armie Hammer and Jason Isaacs, the film recounts the attack on Mumbai’s luxury Taj Mahal hotel, where dozens of guests and hotel workers were killed during a three-day siege carried out by Pakistan-based Islamist militants.
Most of the film is told from the point of view of those trapped in the hotel, as well as of the gunmen.
“You had a whole lot of people from different backgrounds racial, ethnic, from different socio-economic groups who came together in the face of real adversity to survive,” Australian director Anthony Maras told reporters earlier this month. “As Dev (Patel) said, ‘it’s an anthem of resistance.’”
The hotel siege was part of a coordinated series of attacks on a number of targets in one of India’s most populous cities which left more than 160 dead and hundreds wounded.
Patel had just finished acting in his first feature film Slumdog Millionaire, which is set in the slums of Mumbai, when the violence in the city was splashed live across television news channels around the world.
“To come back from this amazing journey (to India) and enter my house in London and see my parents looking at the television screen, watching the city essentially burn, it was very difficult,” he said. “It’s horrible what happened there.”
The Taj Mahal hotel was completely restored by 2010, and a monument was erected in the lobby to commemorate the victims.
The attacks, Patel said, “are still very raw for a lot of people”.
“But they really wanted to put that in the past and show that it didn’t cripple them.”
The cast said the film, which also uses TV footage of the siege, brought some of them to tears when they watched the finished version for the first time. Hammer, who plays American hotel guest David, said that the script was “dripping in humanity.”
“You see the toll the attack has on the guests and the staff of the hotel, but you also see it, really for the first time that I can think of, on the actual perpetrators,” Hammer said.
Isaacs, cast as a Russian guest staying in the hotel, urged watching it with others in a cinema, saying it “connects you with other people and to recognize your common humanity.”
Maras was also granted access to transcripts of intercepted calls be-tween the 10 attackers and their handlers, as well as a video confession from the trial of the only surviving gunman. A lot of their dialogue in the film, he said, was “verbatim”.
“We couldn’t make up anything to the extent of what we heard on those chilling tapes,” he said.
This included a handler telling one of the attackers to leave his phone on throughout the assault so that he could hear the victims’ screams.
The hotel’s executive chef Hemant Oberoi, who has been credited for saving many lives during the assault, attended the film’s premiere.
Anupam Kher plays him in the film, which was his 501st. He said it was his first role to earn him praise as an actor from his mother. “She said, ‘I cried, I was very moved by your acting’.”
Maras said the hotel staff stuffed baking trays and saucepans down their shirts to use as shields and armed themselves with rolling pins and kitchen knives to try to protect themselves and the guests.
“At a time when people are becoming so divided over so many different lines, to have this story where all these people are coming together selflessly to help each other... they were there for one another,” he commented.
“What’s remarkable is that despite the fact that they must all have been out of their wits with terror, they continued to act for each other and help each other,” echoed Isaacs.
The Hollywood Reporter praised the film’s “nail-biting detail and ... an impressive you-are-there quality,” while The Wrap said it “delivers a show-stopping account.”
INDIAN cricket has signed Apollo Tyres as its new lead sponsor after fantasy sports platform Dream11 ended its contract following a government ban on online gambling.
The men's team travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the ongoing Asia Cup without a sponsor on their shirts after Dream11 exited the deal, which was worth about $44 million and was set to run until 2026.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the new contract with Apollo Tyres runs until March 2028. While the value was not disclosed, the board said it is higher than the previous deal.
"The new partnership, secured after a rigorous bidding process, represents a substantial increase in sponsorship value, signifying the immense and growing commercial appeal of Indian cricket," the BCCI said in a statement.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said, "We are excited about this being Apollo's first major sponsorship in India cricket, which speaks volumes about the sport's unparalleled reach and influence. This is more than a commercial agreement; it's a partnership between two institutions that have earned the trust and respect of millions."
Apollo Tyres Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Neeraj Kanwar said, "Cricket's unmatched popularity in India and worldwide makes it an honour for us to become the national team lead sponsor of Team India."
The Apollo Tyres logo will appear on the jerseys of the Indian men's and women's teams across all formats.
Last month, the Indian parliament passed a law banning online gambling. The government said gambling platforms had caused financial distress, addiction and even suicide, and were linked to fraud, money laundering and terrorism financing. Fantasy sports apps such as Dream11 continue to operate, though for prizes and not cash.
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Sydney Sweeney reportedly offered £45m for a leading role in a major Bollywood film
The package includes £35m in fees and £10M in sponsorship deals
Filming is tentatively planned for early 2026 across New York, Paris, London, and Dubai
The project could make Sweeney one of the highest-paid Hollywood stars to join Indian cinema
A record-breaking offer
Hollywood actor Sydney Sweeney has reportedly been approached with a staggering £45M deal to star in one of the most expensive Bollywood films ever produced.
The 28-year-old Euphoria and The White Lotus star is said to have been offered £35m in fees plus an additional £10m through sponsorship agreements.
Details of the proposed project
The untitled film would cast Sweeney as a young American celebrity who falls in love with an Indian star. Filming is expected to begin early next year, with international locations including New York, Paris, London, and Dubai.
Industry insiders describe the project as an effort to bring Indian cinema to an even larger global audience, with Sweeney’s involvement seen as a move to elevate its international appeal.
Industry perspective
A source close to the negotiations said: “Sydney was shocked by the offer at first — £45m is an incredible sum. But the project is intriguing, and it could elevate her global profile even further. Nothing has been decided yet, but it’s a huge opportunity and she is weighing her options carefully.”
A step into Bollywood
If she accepts, Sweeney would join other international stars who have crossed into Bollywood, including Priyanka Chopra and Shilpa Shetty. The Indian film industry has increasingly sought crossover projects to expand its global reach.
Recent career highlights
Sweeney, who rose to fame on HBO’s Euphoria and The White Lotus, has recently been building her film career. Her latest project, Christy, sees her portraying US boxing champion Christy Martin, the first female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Speaking about the physically demanding role, Sweeney said: “Every single fight you see, we’re actually punching each other. I always believed that you wouldn’t be able to make it feel real if it’s a stunt double or if it’s faking the hits.” Christy is set for release on November 7.
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Nvidia boss Jensen Huang has said he is “disappointed” following reports
China’s Cyberspace Administration has reportedly ordered tech firms to stop using Nvidia’s AI chips
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says he is “disappointed” but will remain “patient”
Huang is visiting the UK alongside other tech leaders during Donald Trump’s state visit
Nvidia became the world’s first $4tn company earlier in 2025 amid the AI boom
Huang responds to reported China directive
Nvidia boss Jensen Huang has said he is “disappointed” following reports that China has told its leading technology firms to halt purchases of the company’s artificial intelligence chips.
Speaking to reporters in the UK, Huang added that he would remain “patient” in light of the reported order from China’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration. “There are a lot of places we can’t go to, and that’s fine,” he said.
Background to chip restrictions
Nvidia is the world’s leading chipmaker, central to the global AI boom with its processors powering data centres worldwide. China, meanwhile, has been working to develop its own semiconductors as part of a broader AI strategy to reduce reliance on US technology.
The company had already faced restrictions in China. Its most advanced chips were previously banned from sale to the country before US President Donald Trump reversed the decision in July. As part of an unusual arrangement, Nvidia must pay 15% of its Chinese revenues to the US government.
Financial Times report
According to the Financial Times, China’s Cyberspace Administration recently told domestic technology firms — including major players such as DeepSeek, Tencent and Alibaba — to stop buying Nvidia’s specially designed China-market chips.
Shares in Nvidia were down more than 1% in pre-market trading following the news.
Support for US policy
Asked about the geopolitical tensions, Huang said he would support the US as it sought to resolve the issues and would convey the same message directly to President Trump if asked.
Huang is one of several technology leaders, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, attending Trump’s state visit to the UK. They are expected to join a state banquet on Wednesday evening.
UK investment and tech collaboration
Despite the reported setback in China, Nvidia has continued to expand its footprint elsewhere. The company recently announced it would supply chips to the Stargate UK data centre, a major project in north-east England involving OpenAI, Arm and NScale. The commitment forms part of a broader UK-US technology pact.
Valuation milestone
Nvidia became the first company in the world to surpass a $4tn (£2.9tn) market valuation earlier this year, underscoring its dominance in the AI sector even as geopolitical tensions shape its global reach.
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Tagenarine Chanderpaul. (Photo by PAT HOELSCHER/AFP via Getty Images)
BATSMEN Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze were recalled to the West Indies ranks when they were named in the squad to tour India on Tuesday (16) while left-arm spinner Khary Pierre is included for the first time.
The two-Test series, with matches in Ahmedabad and Delhi, marks the West Indies' first tour to India since 2018 and forms part of the World Test Championship.
Neither Chanderpaul nor Athanaze were involved in the recent series against Australia but have been included to bolster the top-order batting.
"The return of Tagenarine Chanderpaul is to help transform our fortunes at the top of the order given the recent struggles, with Alick Athanaze being added for his strengths and qualities against spin bowling," said head coach Daren Sammy.
Pierre, meanwhile, has been included as the second specialist spinner in the squad after strong performances in the West Indies championship, where he claimed a chart-topping 41 wickets at an average of 13.56.
"Khary is included for the first time as our second spinner in what we expect to be helpful conditions," said Sammy.
Another left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who has not figured since the second Test against Pakistan in Multan in January, has been rested for this red-ball series to focus on the upcoming limited-overs schedule which includes the T20 World Cup in February and March.
West Indies, who are ranked eighth in the Test rankings, face a stiff test against the fourth-ranked side who are always so strong on home soil.
"Playing in the subcontinent always presents a challenge and we have selected a team to be competitive in these conditions." said Sammy.