By Hindustan Times
Until a couple of days ago, actor Vivek Oberoi and director Sanjay Gupta were embroiled in a standoff over the role of Dawood Ibrahim in Shootout At Wadala. Sanjay called the star “a joke”, Vivek stated that he read the script but “didn’t just like the role at all”, and had no option but to show it down.
And now, while Sanjay ropes in Sonu Sood to play the gangster in his sequel to Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007), in accordance with the lifetime of gangster Manya Surve, Vivek is readying to behave in Bollywood’s first-ever biopic of Dawood that’s prone to start sometime next year.
The actor is adept at bringing underworld dons to the massive screen. He started his career with a gritty portrayal of Chandu Nagre — supposedly in response to don Chhota Rajan — in Ram Gopal Varma’s Company (2002) followed by a menacing Maya Dolas in Shootout At Lokhandwala.
Producer Amit Chandrra — who's producing Vivek’s upcoming Kismat Luv Paisa Dilli (KLPD) also starring Mallika Sherawat — will back the brand new biopic too. The film aims to solve what gave the gangster cult status, besides showcasing his human side.
“The makers are yet to start out their research for the film. Plans were afoot to start the project sometime in 2012, but since Vivek is caught up with back-to-back films this year, they have got pushed it to 2013,” says an insider as regards to Chandrra. “Amit isn’t in a rush either, since any such project will need extensive homework.”
Vivek’s choc-a-bloc date diary includes films like Krrish 3, Zilla Ghaziabad and Kumar Taurani’s next. When contacted, Chandrra — busy with the post production and editing of KLPD — confirms: “It’s an idea we're all very excited about, but things are still at an overly nascent stage. Let’s see the way it goes.”
On Monday afternoon, Mumbai was reeling under the scorching sun. But a nondescript lane in Khotachiwadi, Girgaum, experienced rains way to a faux drizzle sequence for Kumar Taurani’s next. Tentatively titled Jayanta Bhai, it features Vivek Oberoi and Neha Sharma.
Once we reached the sets amidst a clutch of heritage homes, a drenched Vivek was busy testing his sequence at the monitor, whilst wife Priyanka ate her bowl of pomegranate. The shot in question had Neha running out within the rain, with an umbrella in her hand, before stopping to strike up a talk with Vivek.
“My character is a gangster, but he’s not within the same bracket as Chandu (Company, 2002) or Maya (Shootout At Lokhandwala, 2007). He's a loveable person, who likes to speak in English even though it’s broken and wrong,” says Vivek with a laugh.
Despite the long wait and hot weather, quite a lot of fans, including older women and kids, lined as much as take a sneak peek. All this, as debutant director Vinnil Markan calmly checked out the entire shots at the monitor, while instructing his production team at the minutest of details like Vivek’s hair and Neha’s umbrella. Once the combo shot was okayed, Vivek stepped right into a corner and the unit moved the set around. Neha went in for a break. Soon, a production member informed Vivek of a running sequence throughout the lane. As we were about to leave, a production guy offered Vivek a couple of green chappals, however the actor checked out his blue slippers and said: ‘Yeh continuity ki chappal hai, beta. (These chappals are supposed to be worn for continuity of the scene.)’
Bollywood’s other Dawoods
Akshay Kumar’s character in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2 is supposedly according to the D Company leader, but will reveal his romantic side.
Sonu Sood will play Dawood in Sanjay Gupta’s Shootout At Wadala, retelling the gangster’s many brushes with rival Manya Surve within the ’70s.
Emraan Hashmi portrayed Dawood’s rise to power in Milan Luthria’s Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai... (2010). Ajay Devgn’s brooding and rugged character of Malik in Ram Gopal Varma’s Company was also apparently inspired by the feared don.
