Christopher Nolan held his first film premiere in India, creating major excitement for The Odyssey. The Oscar-winning director and cast drew large crowds in Mumbai as part of the movie’s global promotional tour.
Nolan traveled to the city with stars Matt Damon and Tom Holland, plus producer Emma Thomas, for the India premiere. Events started with a private screening at PVR ICON IMAX in Phoenix Palladium. Attendees were surprised when Nolan and the cast entered the hall to thank the audience.
At a press conference, Nolan said he had wanted to premiere a film in Mumbai since visiting during the 2017 release of Dunkirk. Plans for Tenet were halted by the pandemic, so this event marked a long-awaited occasion.
Matt Damon, playing Odysseus, called the film one of his most significant projects and noted the huge production scale. He joked to Emma Thomas about her decision to produce it. Tom Holland recalled visiting the Moroccan set and feeling he had stepped back in time. Emma Thomas spoke about the worldwide collaboration across many countries and crews.
Before the red carpet, Nolan, Damon and Holland visited Olympia Coffee House in Colaba, one of the city’s oldest cafés. They had chai and the classic bun maska. Photos posted online spread quickly, showing the group at the marble tables.
The premiere later drew members of the Indian film industry, including Dimple Kapadia. Based on Homer’s epic, the film stars Damon as Odysseus and Holland as Telemachus, with Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal. It was shot entirely on IMAX cameras and opens worldwide on July 17.
The Hindu also interviewed Nolan during the Mumbai visit, with the discussion to appear soon.
