The office of Arjun Rampal’s production company, Kundalini Entertainment, is minimalistic. Standees of his upcoming film Daddy occupy pride of place and framed, vintage posters of American gangster movies offset the grey walls. After his last outing at as a police officer in Kahani 2 (2016), where the actor delivered a finely-controlled and dignified performance, Rampal now steps into the gritty, realistic world of a gangster. Directed by National Award winner Ashim Ahluwalia, the film is a biopic on Arun Gawli, the gangster and politician who rose to prominence in Mumbai in the 1980s and even stood up to Dawood Ibrahim. In 2012, the don, who is referred to by his followers as Daddy, was convicted for the murder of a Shiv Sena politician and is serving out his prison sentence. “I didn’t know him or his life. A lot of people in India are still not aware [about him] except in Maharashtra where he has a stronghold. But his story is very universal and Indian,” shares the actor.
Three years ago, Rampal was planning a biopic on another gangster with director Ashim Ahluwalia when he was approached to play Arun Gawli. After initial rounds of discussion, Rampal realised that the script was a fictitious account, far removed from the dreaded don’s real life. “It was scripted like a Bollywood potboiler and didn’t work for me,” says the actor who locked himself in a room and started writing down a story, which he sent to Ahluwalia for his feedback. “The more I researched, the more interesting bits of information about his characters started coming out. Ashim liked what I had drafted which was incredible since it is very difficult to please him,” he laughs. Rampal then brainstormed with Ahluwalia for a better structure and decided to produce the film, as, by then, the original producers were no longer a part of the project.
Rampal’s job was a tough one since the film is based on a living convict and the consequences of inaccurate portrayal could have a repercussion. But he’s confident of the outcome. “Of course, you have to take some amount of creative liberties in terms of cinematic experience. You are not trying to make a documentary because that gets too boring. We were very clear that this isn’t a propaganda film as we are not showing him in the best light possible. We have kept it as real and gritty as possible,” says Rampal who has consciously ensured the film doesn’t paint Gawli as an aspirational hero. “Every person we spoke to had a different story to tell. Though this genre of filmmaking has been explored but our approach has been very unique.” Daddy covers the 62-year-old’s life from various perspectives and these opinions have shaped the film with what Rampal calls an “unbiased” look at the dreaded don’s life.
The 44-year-old actor admits that taking the call on the cinematic liberties and toeing the thin line between reality and entertainment has been challenging. “You have to blend the two and that’s how a filmmaker like Ashim keeps it real. He doesn’t glamourise stuff and gets the tonality of the subject itself. Every film should have a message and for me, if you don’t have anything to say in a film, it is a waste of time,” emphasises Rampal.
While researching the film, Rampal immersed himself in Gawli’s world and interacted with him, his family, former gang members, rivals, cops who chased him and even those who looked up to him. “It was fascinating to listen to the stories that they had to tell — the fables and how easily and nonchalantly they speak about things that will make you cringe. There is a reason why he doesn’t have monikers such as boss or bhai but daddy. He is a people’s person.” But the real challenge for the actor was “looking the part”. On the day of the look test, Rampal was “nervous and apprehensive”. “What if I didn’t look like him? I worried. But I decided that if the prosthetics don’t look right on me, I will still produce it and will take someone who will get the look right. Luckily for me, with make-up and prosthetics, it all came together,” he shares.
Over the years, Rampal has “matured over the years as an actor.” and his filmography includes roles more character-driven than actor-driven films. “Whether it is Rajneeti or Rock On!, most of my characters have been layered and as an actor that’s what I look for. It is important to scratch the surface level and dig deeper. That’s more challenging and satisfying,” says Rampal adding that if that satisfaction is achieved, one is not worried about results at the box-office. As the film releases this week, Rampal will be “finally pulling off Arun Gawli’s face”, a character he believes will stay with him for a long time. “It’s been a crazy journey and since I was involved in the writing of the film, my journey started from there. I lived with it so long that it became a part of me and I have never experienced something like this ever. I think it has been the most challenging and yet most enjoyable journey,” he asserts.