Actress Nushrratt Bharuccha was stranded in Israel during the war in 2023 when she had traveled for the Haifa International Film Festival. Fortunately, she was later rescued. At News18’s Rising Bharat Summit in New Delhi on Tuesday, she discussed the feeling of helplessness she experienced during those days of violence.
“It was a situation for which no one can ever be prepared. Not even books can teach how to act during those times. Within a period of merely 12 hours, I knew the meaning of helplessness. We consider ourselves educated and capable, but life can devise moments where none of it counts,” she said.
Nushrratt Bharuccha described the horror of being stuck in a war-like scenario, relating her fears of never seeing her family again. “I was woken up by sirens and the sound of explosions. We took refuge in the basement, not knowing how long we would be stuck. There was no assurance that the basement would be safe. There were soldiers in the streets, and chaos.”. I did not have the courage to even glance out of the window,” she recalled, thinking about the surreal nature of the experience.
The actress said that people of various nationalities were present, but there was no communication possible. “There was silence amidst all the chaos. No one knew what to do,” she said, as she prepares for the release of her upcoming film, Chhorii 2.
Describing her ordeal in Israel as the “most challenging” times of her life, Bharuccha admitted to having feared that she might never see her family again. “Those hours were like an eternity. I was replaying moments over and over, thinking it was the end,” she told reporters.
She expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government of India in her final statement for making efforts to evacuate all Indian nationals from Israel to safety.
