‘The Odyssey’ Mumbai premiere: Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon and Tom Holland spotted sipping chai before the event

Mumbai/IBNS-CMEDIA: Director Christopher Nolan and actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland made a memorable stop at a Mumbai café for chai before attending the Indian premiere of their upcoming film The Odyssey on Saturday.

The filmmaker and the two actors later arrived at the special screening of the film, marking its Indian premiere in Mumbai.

Chai stop before Red Carpet

Universal Pictures India shared photographs of Nolan, Damon and Holland enjoying tea before the premiere, offering fans a glimpse of the trio’s relaxed outing.

Sharing the images on social media, the studio wrote: “Quick tea stop before The Odyssey Mumbai Premiere. A Big night awaits, but chai comes first! #OdysseyMumbaiPremiere.”

The pictures showed the three enjoying cups of chai along with bun maska and desserts, while fellow customers at the café captured the moment on their phones.

Christopher Nolan expressed his admiration for India’s cinema culture while attending the Mumbai premiere of The Odyssey, calling the visit “very, very special.”

Addressing the audience, the Oscar-winning filmmaker said he had long wanted to launch one of his films in India and described Indian moviegoers as “some of the most enthusiastic, knowledgeable cinematic audiences in the world.”

Welcoming the audience, Nolan added that although he had visited Mumbai before, it was the first time he had the opportunity to premiere one of his films in the city, telling attendees they were among the first audiences in the world to watch The Odyssey.

Nolan also revealed that he had originally planned to visit India during the release of Tenet, parts of which were filmed in Mumbai, but the trip had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mumbai premiere of The Odyssey, he said, therefore carried special significance, finally allowing him to celebrate the launch of one of his films with Indian audiences in person.

Star-studded cast headlines the film

The Odyssey features an ensemble cast that includes Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez and Mia Goth alongside Matt Damon and Tom Holland.

The film is based on Homer’s epic poem and has been co-produced by Christopher Nolan and producer Emma Thomas.

Thomas also attended the Mumbai red-carpet premiere alongside Nolan, Damon and Holland.

Nolan reunites with Emma Thomas after Oppenheimer

The Odyssey marks another collaboration between Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas following the success of Oppenheimer.

The 2023 biographical drama earned $958.8 million at the worldwide box office and received 13 Academy Award nominations, winning seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

First narrative feature shot entirely on IMAX cameras

The upcoming epic is also attracting attention for its technical achievement.

According to the filmmakers, The Odyssey will become the first narrative feature to be filmed entirely using IMAX cameras.

In an unusual move, tickets for select 70mm IMAX screenings were released a year in advance in July 2025.

Distributed by Universal Pictures, The Odyssey is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on July 17.