Smita Tambe Recalls 26/11 Memory at Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata Trailer Launch: “We Were on the Other Side of the Road”

At the trailer launch of Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata in Mumbai, actress Smita Tambe briefly shared a personal memory from the night of the 26/11 terror attacks. While speaking to the media, she recalled how she had unknowingly been close to one of the blasts while travelling out of the city, long before the full scale of the tragedy became clear.

“I remember it vividly. I was actually in a taxi—during the 26/11 attacks, while everything was unfolding, we had absolutely no idea what was happening. I was traveling to Pune,” she said, describing how normal the journey initially felt despite the chaos unfolding elsewhere in Mumbai.

Smita further recounted being near Vile Parle around the time of a taxi blast, without realizing what had just happened. “Regarding the blast that occurred in a taxi in Parle, I happened to be seated in a Volvo bus on the opposite side—right across from the site of the explosion,” she said, highlighting how close she was to the incident without immediate awareness.

She explained that the situation only became clearer later, as communication at the time was limited. “We simply couldn't comprehend what was going on. We had certainly seen heavy traffic in Parle before, but never anything quite like this; we sensed that something was terribly wrong,” she added, noting how difficult it was to understand the gravity of the situation in real time.

Smita also pointed out how different the information flow was back then compared to today. “At that time, social media and similar platforms were not as active or prevalent as they are today. It was only later that we realized just how close we had come—we were literally on one side of the road, while the blast occurred on the other,” she said.

Directed and written by Manoj Tapadia, Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata features an ensemble cast including Kangana Ranaut, Girija Oak Godbole, Smita Tambe, Suhita Thatte, Asha Shelar, Priya Berde, Esha Dey, Rasika Aghase, Amrutha Namdev, Aditya Mishra, Zahid Khan, and others. The film highlights the bravery of hospital workers—nurses, ward boys, and cleaners—who reportedly helped safeguard nearly 400 patients during the attacks.

Set to release on June 12, 2026, the film aims to bring attention to the often-overlooked acts of courage that unfolded behind the headlines of one of India’s darkest nights.