When terror struck Mumbai in 2008, stories of extraordinary courage unfolded in places that rarely made headlines. One such story belongs to nurse Anjali Kulthe. As terrorists entered Mumbai's Cama Hospital on the night of November 26, Kulthe stepped up to protect some of the most vulnerable people inside the building.
More than 16 years later, her remarkable story is set to reach a wider audience through 'Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata', the upcoming film starring Kangana Ranaut, who portrays the nurse.
Kulthe recalled hearing gunshots before seeing terrorists enter the hospital premises after shooting security personnel. As panic spread through the building, she quickly realised that the patients in her care needed protection.
Instead of fleeing, she gathered 20 pregnant women from the ward and moved them into a small pantry. The lights were switched off, mobile phones were silenced, and everyone sat quietly in the dark as the attack unfolded outside.
During the siege, one of the women, a high-risk patient suffering from hypertension, went into labour. With gunfire continuing inside the hospital and doctors unable to safely reach the ward, Kulthe took charge. She carefully escorted the patient to the labour room, moving step by step along a staircase while staying close to the wall. By the following morning, the woman had delivered a baby girl safely.
