Mumbai: Pakistani politician Nabil Gabol has strongly criticised ‘Dhurandhar 2’, claiming that the character of Jameel Jamali in the film is based on him.
The controversy comes as the sequel starring Ranveer Singh continues its blockbuster run, having minted over Rs 1,000 crore worldwide within the first week.
The former MNA from Lyari said he has been facing trolling online over the portrayal, and is now planning to respond with a film of his own.
Gabol alleged during a recent interview that the character played by Rakesh Bedi draws directly from his life during his time in office.
“The truth is that they cannot fight Pakistan or the Pakistani Army, so they created a movie instead. Through this, they have made Lyari internationally famous. The people of Lyari do not care; they are very strong. They used a comedian, Rakesh Bedi, to play my role and portrayed him as Nabil Gabol. Rakesh Bedi later claimed, ‘No, I didn’t just base it on Nabil Gabol; I made it a general depiction of all Pakistani politicians’. However, in 2007, the MNA of Lyari was Nabil Gabol,” he explained.
He further remarked that the film attempted to portray Lyari in a certain light, adding that while the makers may have denied the resemblance, he believes the inspiration is clear.
Gabol also reacted to online criticism, saying he would soon give a “strong response” and set the record straight about Lyari’s reality.
Addressing the online trolling, he said, “I see a lot of trolling on Indian social media asking why Nabil Gabol has gone silent. Well, today is the 26th, and I will give you a powerful response, just as the Pakistani Army responded to you. Just as six of your planes were shot down, I will also give you a proper answer regarding what Lyari actually is.”
Announcing his next move, Gabol revealed plans to produce a film inspired by the controversy.
While hinting at it being his version of the story, he said it would not be titled as a sequel but instead be called ‘Lyari Ka Gabbar.’
This is not the first time Gabol has objected to the ‘Dhurandhar’ franchise. After the release of the first part, Gabol had criticised the depiction of his character, saying it failed to capture his real persona.
At the time, he had ruled out pursuing legal action due to financial constraints.
Criticising the depiction of his character, he said, “Jo mera role dikhaya gaya hai, mera role bahut dabbang tha, or dabbang iss tareeke se tha ki inhone mere role ko sahi tareeke se nahi dikhaya (I was very audacious. But they haven’t shown me the way I was).”
The ‘Dhurandhar’ series, which follows an Indian spy infiltrating Lyari’s gang network, also features Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna and Sanjay Dutt in key roles.
