Christopher Nolan in Mumbai: The Odyssey premiere, chai at Olympia and whats next

Christopher Nolan’s first-ever film premiere in India has sparked extraordinary excitement around The Odyssey, with the Oscar-winning filmmaker and his cast drawing crowds across Mumbai during the Indian leg of the film’s global promotional tour.

Nolan arrived in the city alongside stars Matt Damon and Tom Holland, as well as producer Emma Thomas, for the India premiere of The Odyssey. The celebrations began with an exclusive screening at PVR ICON IMAX, Phoenix Palladium, where audiences received an unexpected surprise as Nolan and the cast walked into the auditorium and thanked the crowd for their patronage.

Speaking at a press conference, Nolan said he had long wanted to premiere one of his films in Mumbai after first visiting the city during the release of Dunkirk in 2017. Plans to bring Tenet to India were disrupted by the pandemic, making The Odyssey‘s premiere a long-awaited milestone. 

Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, described the film as one of the most meaningful projects of his career and recalled being overwhelmed by the sheer scale of its production, joking that he had asked producer Emma Thomas, “I can’t believe you decided to produce this movie.” Tom Holland remembered walking across the Moroccan set on his first visit and feeling as though he had “gone back in time,” calling the experience unlike anything he had ever witnessed. Emma Thomas, reflected on the immense global collaboration behind the production, which spanned multiple countries and brought together crews across continents. 

Before stepping onto the red carpet however, Nolan, Damon and Holland dropped by Olympia Coffee House in Colaba, one of the city’s oldest surviving cafés, where they enjoyed cups of chai and the iconic bun maska. Photographs shared online quickly went viral, showing the trio seated around the café’s iconic marble-topped tables.

The celebrations later continued with the film’s India premiere, attended by members of the Indian film fraternity, including Tenet actor Dimple Kapadia. Based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey stars Damon as Odysseus and Holland as Telemachus, alongside Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal. The film has been shot entirely using IMAX film cameras and releases worldwide on July 17.

The Hindu also sat down with Christopher Nolan during his Mumbai visit. Watch this space for our exclusive interview with the Oscar-winning filmmaker, coming soon.