Hotel Mumbai: Dev Patel, Anupam Kher's drama on 26/11 to now release in India on 29 November

The Indian release date of Dev Patel and Anupam Kher's Hotel Mumbai has now been pushed to 29 November. Zee Studios had initially scheduled screen the film from 29 March, which was later postponed to 11 October. Hotel Mumbai will hit cinemas in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Anupam Kher in a still from Hotel Mumbai. YouTube

Here is the release date announcement alongside a new poster

The film had earlier failed to find any distributors in the country, owing to its "sensitive nature."  Netflix had also dropped the film from its roster as it's embroiled in a legal battle with Plus Holdings, a Dubai-based company, reports the daily. Plus Holdings had moved the Bombay High Court filing a petition to seek injunction against Netflix from screening Hotel Mumbai. They claimed that they had the rights to release the movie in SAARC countries.

Based on the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai, it also stars Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi and Jason Isaacs in pivotal roles. The film recounts the 2008 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.

Hotel Mumbai had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2018, and received positive reviews for its portrayal of the harrowing attack. It was originally set to be released by The Weinstein Company but was dropped following sexual misconduct allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein. Hotel Mumbai was then picked up by Bleecker Street for US distributions.

In the Anthony Maras-directed movie, Kher features in the role of Hemant Oberoi, the celebrated chef of the hotel who was instrumental in saving the lives of many stuck in the hotel.

"The film celebrates the real-life heroes and how they were able to discover their own courage. Sometimes you discover your own courage in a situation like this. As actors, we are widely celebrated but these are the heroes who need to be in the spotlight. This film made me learn the biggest lesson of my life - to value humanity above all," Kher said in a statement, according to Press Trust of India.

Watch the trailer here