"Someone who has barely escaped a war zone, I cannot be more grateful today" - Nushrratt on Israel experience

Bollywood actress Nushrratt Bharuccha faced a distressing ordeal recently while she was stuck in Israel during the ongoing conflict triggered by an assault by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Fortunately, Nushrratt has safely made it back to India and has issued an official statement in which she expresses her thankfulness towards the authorities and shares her perspective on the difficult circumstances she encountered.

She shared a video and a post expressing what she went through. Her statement read, “The last week will forever remain etched in my memory...a rollercoaster ride of emotions, the final 36 hours of which will remain the most unforgettable and daunting of my life...”

Nushratt, along with her producer, the stylist had been flown into Haifa in Israel on October 3 to attend the reputed Haifa International Film Festival for the screening of her recent film, Akelli, alongside her Israeli co-actors, Tsahi Halevi and Amir Boutrous.

While they were supposed to return the next day, the attacks begun and she said, “Saturday morning was nothing like the previous evening's celebration. We were woken up to the deafening sounds of bombs going off, a blaring siren, and complete and utter panic as we were all rushed down into a 'shelter' in the basement of our hotel. It was only when we emerged from in there, after what seemed like an endless wait, that we learnt that Israel was under attack. Nothing could have prepared us for this news.”

She also mentioned how seeking help, she and her team managed to reach to the airport. She expressed, “Caught in the middle of a war in a foreign country was hardly something any of us had envisaged. But this was also when help had come in for us from completely unexpected quarters: calls from our Israeli co-actors, guidance from the Indian and Israeli embassies, the kind staff at the hotel and, most miraculously, a taxi driver who selflessly helped us at this most difficult and life-threatening time of our lives!”

Later she penned a note of gratitude for everyone and thanked the authorities for getting her back safe to the country. Aa she said, “someone who has barely escaped a war zone, I cannot be more grateful today...I'm back home and safe with my family and my loved ones. But with an experience that has made me immensely grateful for the safety and security that we almost take for granted. I am ever so grateful to Government of India, the Indian Embassy and the Israeli Embassy, for their help and guidance in bringing my team and me back safe. I would also like to thank each and every one of my well-wishers from the bottom of my heart for their wishes and prayers for my safety.”

Nushratt landed back to India on 9th October 2023.

ALSO READ: Nushrratt Bharuccha returns India safely after being stranded in Israel