As Kangana Ranaut’s much-talked-about film ‘Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata’, inspired by the real events at Mumbai’s Cama Hospital during the 26/11 terror attacks, gears up for release, one true story continues to stand out for its sheer courage and humanity. The film reportedly highlights the bravery of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff who protected patients on one of India’s darkest nights. Among them was nurse Anjali Kulthe, whose extraordinary actions helped save lives amid chaos and gunfire.
What happened on the night of the attack?
According to the Screen report, on the night of November 26, 2008, Anjali Kulthe was on a routine night shift at Mumbai’s Cama and Albless Hospital with 20 pregnant women under her care. However, everything changed when she looked out of a window and saw two heavily armed terrorists enter the hospital campus and shoot the watchmen. As panic spread, Anjali quickly shut the ward doors and began moving frightened patients to safer areas while gunshots and explosions echoed outside.As the attack intensified, one of the pregnant women under Anjali’s care suddenly went into labour. With elevators unsafe and gunfire ringing through the corridors, Anjali held the frightened mother’s hand and guided her up the staircase to the labour room. “My concern was that the woman and baby should be safe,” she later recalled. A healthy baby boy was born safely, and by sunrise, all 20 pregnant women under her care had survived.
Anjali Kulthe says her uniform made her do everything
Speaking about what kept her going that night, Anjali told Nation Next, “I was driven by passion. Ek junoon tha. I didn’t want to die without helping people. The power of the uniform made me do all this.” She added, “I was thinking that the bullets could hit me, but nothing should happen to the patient.”She went on to say, “This was the power of my uniform. It made me think not about myself but about my patients.”Recalling her state of mind that night, Anjali said, “I wasn’t scared at all.” She remembered arriving for her 12-hour shift and later being told to prepare for emergencies. When gunshots began, her instinct was to protect her patients rather than flee. “I first asked my patients to switch off their phones and assured them that they were safe as long as I was with them,” she said.
Anjali Kulthe talks about identifying Ajmal Kasab
Weeks after the attacks, Anjali was asked to identify Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive. Despite her family’s fears, she agreed to go. “He laughed and said, ‘Madam, you identified me just right. I am indeed Ajmal Kasab,'” she recalled. She added, “My parents cried and stopped me from going. But I told them someone has to take a step forward for the country.” For her courage, Anjali was later honoured with a bravery medal.
The scars that remain
Even today, the memories of that night haven’t faded. “Even today, when I hear the sound of crackers, I suddenly go back to the night of 26/11,” Anjali said. The 26/11 attacks claimed 166 lives and injured more than 300 people, making it one of the deadliest terror incidents in Indian history.
More about ‘Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata’
Helmed by Manoj Tapadia, the film is about the nurses of Cama Hospital, who kept around 400 patients alive during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Apart from Kangana Ranaut, the movie also features Girija Oak, Smita Tambe, and Esha Dey. The film hit theatres today, June 12, 2026.