Bollywood Actor's Sister, Brother-in-law Killed In Oberoi

[Hindustani_1_]

Mumbai, (IANS) Bollywood actor Ashish Chaudhary's sister Monica Chhabaria and her husband, who had gone to the Oberoi Trident Hotel Wednesday for dinner, have been killed in the terrorist attack, sources close to the actor said Friday.

The couple went to the Tiffin restaurant of the hotel, which was among the 10 places the terrorists attacked Wednesday night.

Ashish, recently seen in the film "EMI", was waiting since the Wednesday night for a word on the wellbeing of his sister and her husband, but he broke down when he came to know that they were brought out of the hotel by security forces Friday.

In fact a report by the security forces said all diners at Tiffin that night were killed in terrorist firing.

[Hindustani_1_]

Amitabh Bachchan slept with gun under pillow after terror attacks

Mumbai, Condemning the terror strike in Mumbai as a "terrible situation", Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan said that for the first time in his life he slept with his loaded licensed revolver.

"As the events of the terrorist attack unfolded in front of me, I did something for the first time and one that I had hoped never ever to be in a situation to do. Before retiring for the night, I pulled out my licensed .32 revolver, loaded it and put it under my pillow, for a very disturbed sleep," Amitabh wrote on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com.

The superstar said he was glued to the TV screen late on Wednesday night when security personnel battled the terrorists who killed 125 people and injured 327 across the city.

[Hindustani_1_]

Strike terrorism with iron hand, Bollywood stars tell politicians

Mumbai, Wake up and strike terrorism with an iron hand, say Bollywood's stars shocked by the brazen terror attack that targeted Mumbai's poshest areas. From Hema Malini, who worries about her daughters, to Bipasha Basu, who narrowly missed the Vile Parle blast, this terror strike has shaken them all.

Shveta Salve: Please send me Raj Thackeray's number, if you can find it. I don't know where he is when we need him. We want him to go and save 'Amchi Mumbai' along with his MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) men. After all they are the 'sons of the soil', aren't they? The army, the commandos who are right now battling to save Mumbai are not all 'Marathi Manoos', are they? I wonder why they should risk their lives for us!

Hema Malini: I think the Mumbai police rose to the occasion. It is very sad that we lost some brave officers. Hats off to the army for rescuing people. It's really sad that Mumbai has become so unsafe. I wait with my heart in my mouth until Esha and Ahana are home. We desperately need more security.

Raveena Tandon: We were in a restaurant in south Mumbai having dinner with friends when we started getting calls to leave immediately. We still waited. But then a policeman called and advised us to go home. We headed home in groups and stayed on the phone till each of us reached safely. It's time for the corrupt politicians to wake up. Stop thinking of your vote banks and think of what's happening to the country.

Bipasha Basu: It's shocking and scary. We're going through a very disturbing and inhuman phase. On Wednesday night, I travelled on the highway two minutes after the Vile Parle blast. There was mayhem on the roads. John's (John Abraham) aunt, who works at the Taj (Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotels), reached home at 7 a.m. Thursday. I wonder where and when it will end.

Vishal Bhardwaj: My "Kaminey" unit was lucky. We were shooting a minute's distance away from the Taj and Oberoi hotels. We had to quickly gather our stuff and flee.

Shabana Azmi: I was on the phone with a friend in London when she asked me to switch on the TV. It's a diabolic war waged on our city and country. This isn't the time to place blame. We need to maintain peace and communal harmony and cooperate with the police. Our condolences to police officers who sacrificed their lives. Terrorism should be struck down with an iron hand.

Shilpa Shetty: I had an early morning shoot Thursday so I went to sleep early. I had no clue about what happened in my city until someone called from London to ask if I was alright. That's when I switched on the TV and quickly made calls to friends who live in town.

It makes me sad and angry that Mumbai residents are soft targets for such attacks. It's an unsettling feeling, especially since we seem not equipped to deal with it. This is an open war against humanity.

Arshad Warsi: I was on my way back from Panchgani Wednesday night. The explosion at Vile Parle happened 15-20 minutes after I passed by that area. I trust the police and army. They'll sort it out. Nothing can stop Mumbai residents from getting back to normal. But we need to exercise more caution.

Iqbal Khan: Mujahideen is such a sure and strong word. I'm sure they don't even know the meaning.

Celina Jaitley: I was at the Four Seasons hotel in Worli when the attacks happened. Till 3 a.m. Thursday we remained close to the exits and then we went up to our rooms. I got calls from friends and my security head to stay put. Is this really happening to our wonderful city?

Sammir Dattani: Five friends and I had a table booked at the Oberoi hotel for dinner. We were just a stone's throw away from the hotel when I changed my mind because I had an early morning flight. That's when we heard a loud explosion in the hotel. Before we could react, all hell broke loose. We quickly drove off.