Bollywood film depicts trauma of 2006 Mumbai bombings

By Shilpa Jamkhandikar

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A new Bollywood film puts the spotlight on the serial bombings that rocked Mumbai's commuter train network in July 2006, exploring the broader human tragedy and its effect on the city's residents.

"Mumbai Meri Jaan" (Mumbai, My Love), which opens in cinemas in August, depicts the death and devastation caused by the attacks, through the eyes of a female journalist, a witness to the carnage.

The film also weaves in the impact the blasts have on the lives of a business professional, an unemployed youth, a policeman and a tea stall owner.

"My film is a salute to the spirit of humankind and people who fight against such tragedies. On the day of the blasts, everyone was on the streets of Mumbai, helping," director Nishikant Kamat said.

Seven bombs went off within 15 minutes on packed commuter trains during evening rush hour in Mumbai on July 11, 2006, killing 186 people and one of the bombers.

Police say the attack was triggered by disaffected Muslims at the behest of Pakistan-based Islamist militants.

But the film's producers said "Mumbai Meri Jaan" will chronicle the deadly blasts and their aftermath without trying to identify the perpetrators or why the attacks occurred.

"It's a human story based on the repercussions of 7/11 on the lives of people," said Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Movies.