Ashim Ahluwalia’s Daddy lets us into the life of Arun Gawli, a gangster-turned-politician. Arjun Rampal plays the enigmatic gangster from Dagdi Chawl, from where he would carry out many an offensive against his foes, to briefly, his volte-face as a politician. In the Daddy film review, we take a look at why some filmgoers might find this a compelling watch.
Arun Gawli, a name that elicits memories of violent skirmishes with the underworld as well as the cops. As much as he was a reluctant gangster, his fierce rivalry with underworld don Dawood (here Maqsood played by Farhan Akhtar) came to be well-known. As his partners fell by the wayside, Arun Gawli was left to battle it out for himself. When the situation was not conducive for his safety, Maqsood escaped to Dubai. However, Gawli was going nowhere. In the ensuing weeks and months, he was to battle it out with the cops and in the court. People supported him, and he was elected as an MLA, even though he was meted a life sentence after being falsely implicated in a crime.
The film traces his journey from a brash young bloke who is unsure whether he wants to pursue a life of crime or not to a mature individual who successfully garners the mandate of the common man.
Arjun Rampal is on top of his game here, bringing the quirks of the man in question admirably to the screen. He doesn’t merely bear a resemblance to Arun Gawli, he also deftly carries out the emotional highs and lows that his character undergoes.
Nishikant Kamat is exceptional as the cop who relentlessly pursues him and manages to get him a lifer by wrongly incriminating him in a crime. He is so persuasive in his role that you come to deplore the way he single-mindedly sets out to bring down Arun Gawli.
The rest of the supporting cast is sufficiently competent in their respective roles as well. The portrayal of the period during which the film plays out is well-done.
Of course, on the downside, there are too many characters, some of whom only fleetingly appear on the screen and it is tedious to keep up with all of them. A more streamlined narrative would have served the film better.
Trimmed down by a few minutes, the film might have had a greater impact. As it is, Daddy is not a bad effort. It does well to pique your interest in a man, whose life, though well-documented, has remained elusive and enigmatic.
Daddy film review gives Daddy 3 out of 5 stars
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