Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Hindi Movie

Feature Film | 2010 | Action, Romantic
Critics:
Once Upon A Time In Mumbaii is worth the price of your ticket and more. It's a film that almost gets everything right. Highly Recommended.
Jul 30, 2010 By Ashok Nayak


Once Upon A Time In Mumbai directed by Milan Luthria is a gangster film starring Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi, Prachi Desai, Kangna Ranaut and Randeep Hooda. The film has been in news for being based on the lives of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Haji Mastan. The disclaimer - as ordered by the high court - claims otherwise, still the news has created tremendous excitement around the film.


The film is set in Mumbai. It starts off in the 70s with the rise of underworld don Sultan Mirza (Ajay Devgan), with Shoaib (Emraan Hashmi) as his prot�g�. Years later, Sultan decides to leave the crime world and join politics. While on a trip to Delhi for a party ticket, he appoints Shoaib as his successor to the rule the underworld. The ambitious Shoaib takes over and expands his illegal business. Thus begins the conflict between the mentor and his prot�g�. What happens next forms the rest of this genuinely engrossing film.


Once Upon A Time In Mumbai starts of very well. The characters, including those of the two lead gangsters, are very likable. And unlike most other gangster films, the director has included plenty of heart-warming romantic scenes to keep the female section of the audience hooked.


Milan Luthria aided big time by Rajat Arora's fabulously written script, delivers inarguably his best work to date. Whether it's the romantic scenes, the action sequences, recreating the retro look of the 70s (along with art director Nitin Desai) or the confrontation between the two lead actors, Milan has handled it all very well. The film also has plenty of mass-appeal, it isn't too serious or depressing nor is there an excess of bloody and gore. The action scenes by Abbas Ali Moghul are expertly choreographed and performed. The background music (Sandeep Shirodhkar) is brilliant. What also take the film to an all new level are those powerful dialogues by Rajat Arora.


The music by Pritam is one of the best so far this year. 'Pee Loon' is a chartbuster and goes well with the film.


Ajay Devgan delivers one of his best performances ever. Perfectly cast as Sultan Mirza, Devgan gets everything right. An award deserving performance, undoubtedly. Emraan Hashmi does very well too, sharing great chemistry with the very effective and cute Prachi Desai. Kangana Ranaut is brilliant, yet again. Randeep Hooda is excellent. In fact, every performance is top notch - a pat on Milan's back for extraction fabulous performances from his talented cast.


To sum things up, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is worth the price of your ticket and more. It's a film that almost gets everything right. Highly Recommended.

Ashok Nayak

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