Suhail Nayyar: Understanding terrorist psyche for 'Hotel Mumbai' a challenge

Bollywood actor Suhail Nayyar, who plays a terrorist in "Hotel Mumbai", based on the deadly 26/11 terror attack of 2008 in Mumbai, says he went through a process to understand the psyche of a terrorist, which he found difficult to understand.

Talking about his experience, Suhail said: "I had to play a character that defies every moral fabric that I stand for, or any average common person can fathom. To understand the psyche of a terrorist is beyond a commonplace experience. It is almost alien to us. It is a role that I will forever hold dear to my heart owing to the amazing people I worked with and the importance of the film in itself."

Directed by Anthony Maras, the film features, Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher and Suhail in pivotal roles.

Suhail shared: "This is one of the most difficult characters I have ever played. The amount of blood and sweat that has gone into creating 'Abdullah' is immeasurable. Playing him on screen was challenging — given his level of aggression, his belief, and his Pakistani Punjabi dialect."

The action thriller premiered at Toronto International Film Festival last year and travelled various other film festivals before its release on November 29.

Suhail, who has worked in films like "Udta Punjab", "Life Sahi Hai", and "Commando 2", mentioned that the film was an "immersive real-life subject", and an important story for the audience to know.

The story of the film mainly revolves around the attack that took place in Taj Mahal Palace hotel, Colaba.

"I'm sure the audiences will get to see a story about the real-life heroes -- the staff and the workers. This is a story that needed to be told and I am exceptionally proud to be a part of, albeit a small part of it. I've had a brilliant experience working with the entire cast and crew and I'm glad the movie that's done so well internationally will now be available for the Indian audience," said Suhail.