Ekta Kapoor: Dawood Ibrahim not flavour of 'Once Upon a Time...'

It’s a stark coincidence that a film that draws uncomfortable parallels from the life of dreaded gangster, Dawood Ibrahim.

However, Balaji productions reigning queen, Ekta Kapoor, dismisses claims that ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Dobaara’s’ reel outing can be compared to the real-life of India’s most wanted, rather explaining that her gangster flick is a romance with flavourings of an Amitabh Bachchan film of yore.

Speaking at the Dubai press conference for the film with her starcast, including Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and Imran Khan, Kapoor very categorically dismissed any Dawood references, saying: “Everything about ‘Once Upon a Time...’ is fictional and is not in any way linked to the life of any living person. Frankly, I wouldn’t even call my film a gangster movie.

“This is a romantic film that showcases the love affair of a gangster. It is not a romcom, but rather a romantic drama that has all the flavouring of an Amitabh Bachchan film of the ‘70s and ‘80s.”

She continued: “We are bringing intelligent drama back to the silver screen with this film.”

Kapoor, who recently also produced yet another gangster film ‘Shootout at Wadala’ earlier this year, which was also a sequel to ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’, denied that she was glorifying organised crime in any way through her cinematic productions.

“Glorify?” scoffed the fiery filmmaker. “You have to put someone on a pedestal to glorify someone or something. We are doing no such thing here.
 
“What we are doing is highlighting the romance, the depression, the anxiety and the loneliness of a man that happens to be a gangster.”

She continued: “Plus the comparison of my attempts at producing gangster films is like comparing chalk and cheese. It’s saying every film has a hero and a villain and you are copying the same.”

The crime drama, which is a sequel to the 2010 hit of the same name, was shot extensively in neighbouring Oman.

When quizzed why the makers chose Oman over filming in the UAE, Kapoor simply laughed and said: “Oman made us an offer we couldn’t refuse.”

However, she didn’t rule out that they would look at the UAE if a part three of the film happens to be in the works.

“Dubai is an amazing city; it’s modern, it’s beautiful and inspirational,” she said, adding: “In the past, even my TV shows have seen plotlines that have been filmed in Dubai, including ‘Bade Ache Lagte Hain’. I would love to come here if there is a part three to the film or even if my TV shows warrant it.”

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