A soldier's final words: "Do not come up, I will handle them."
In short: During the 2008 Mumbai hotel siege, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan faced a choice between tactical safety and a life-saving rescue. This biographical drama explores the personal cost of his heroism, depicting a man who chose to face a room of terrorists alone, refusing reinforcements even as his life hung in the balance.
Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who served as a training officer within the NSG's 51 Special Action Group, is portrayed in the 2022 movie Major. It centers on the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, specifically the siege of the Taj Hotel. The narrative highlights the extreme conditions of Operation Black Tornado, where the NSG faced a lack of surveillance cameras and a labyrinth of deadly booby traps and tripwires installed by terrorists.
A pivotal moment occurs on the hotel's fifth floor, where a guest named Pramoda Reddy managed to hide from gunmen while attempting to rescue a British tourist's daughter, Shirley. Unnikrishnan, driven by a personal sense of responsibility, decided to enter the floor alone. Despite being shot and stabbed multiple times, he refused Commander Shera's offer of reinforcement, famously stating, "do not come up, I will handle them." He ultimately died from his wounds alone, a sacrifice that left his family in shock, as they initially believed his role was strictly as a training officer.
Beyond the action, the film explores Unnikrishnan's personal life, including his early fascination with the military and his strained marriage to Isha. The production achieved commercial success, earning ₹64–66 crore globally, even though opinions differed on its 'hagiographic' and 'exaggerated' nature versus its personal, non-jingoistic approach; it remains a tribute to a soldier whose father prioritised his life over his death.
The production was a massive undertaking, filmed over 120 days across more than 75 locations. It was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi to reach a broader audience, reflecting the North Indian setting of the events. The project faced significant hurdles, including a production halt in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before eventually releasing in June 2022.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Major (film)
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