Once Upon a Time in Mumbai (2010)

You can probably name a number of films with titles "Once Upon a Time in..." where we go back in time to eras in cities or countries past, with room for plenty of astounding stories to be told, complete with that nostalgic peek in a time long gone. In Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, writer Rajat Arora and director Milan Luthria bring us back to the 60s to 80s Mumbai, with the city having to taste the onslaught of the Mafia operating from within, carefully carving territories amongst themselves so that they can each operate in their own spheres of influence as mooted by a certain Sultan Mirza (Ajay Devgan), with him forsaking land to his peers and opting for control over the sea routes for his smuggling activities.

So begins the tale of a much respected gangster, well known throughout the city for his no- nonsense approach and honour amongst thieves, yet possessing that heart of gold and compassion in his willingness to help impoverished folks where the authorities can't, himself having started from an almost impossibly poor beginning and working his way up through a variety of con jobs. But one gangster alone doesn't make this the blast from the past tale it got touted to be, with the story enveloping two other key characters, with Shoaib Khan (Emraan Hashmi of Tum Mile) the protégé gangster wannabe who looks toward Sultan as a source of inspiration, but possesses a hungrier and larger ambition and an obsession to emulate his idol, and on the other side of the law, ACP Agnel Wilson (Randeep Hooda) who at first thought that taming the city will be a piece of cake, but soon finds himself embroiled in a battle larger than what he alone thought could handle.

It is the intertwining of the lives of these three characters that propel the narrative forward, with the two gangster characters Sultan and Shoaib finding parallels with real life mobsters Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim who reigned over the Mumbai underworld during the same era. It charts their respective path to infamy, with each having to take a different route and approach in terms of what morals they are willing to compromise in their grip for power and ownership of the city, with Mumbai herself becoming that object of desire. The story takes pains to tell how each possesses a certain amount of ingenuity in their dealings as gangsters to make up for the lack of action sequences, while also highlighting their differences that will eventually see them cross paths into foes, with the police willing to take a backseat to see how it will all play out.

As with a typical Hindi film, romance is never left far behind, and ample time is given to mirror the kind of relationships each man develop with their lady love. Kangana Ranaut glams up for her role as the superstar actress Rihana who sweeps and got swept off the floor by Sultan in their fairy tale like whirlwind romance, while that between Shoaib and Mumtaz (Prachi Desai) is almost the exact opposite with a more down to earth relationship riddled with issues since Mumtaz cannot reconcile Shoaib's desire to rise to the top through whatever means possible. Worst of course come the humiliation that Shoaib's initial failure bring about, and that uncontrollable dogged temper that sees him never wanting to get stuck back in the rut again.

So we have a clear distinction before and after the interval, beginning with the measured setting of the pace for the introduction of all the key characters and their respective rise to power, and after that the beginnings of true rivalry formed.

Fmovies: I saw this with my family in a theater, first day last show. Revisted it recently on a DVD which i own. The sheer amount of effort that went into making this film is breathtaking. The locations, the time frame, the costumes, the set pieces, and the acting. Everything was top notch. It is a biography of Haji Mastan, a famous contraband smuggler, gangster, films financier n real estate businessman played very well by Devgan. Mastan was not a dreaded don because never in his life he had killed anyone or shot a bullet at anyone. In fact, in certain places in South Mumbai, he was referred as the Robin Hood. Devgan, for his part turns in a fine performance as Mastan aka Sultan. He gives an amazing performance, from tough to tender, he hits it all. You're actually rooting for this guy, because of where he came from, what hes trying to achieve, the ingenuity and strength that it takes to accomplish it, even though its all completely illegal. Along with Mastans story, there is another in the film, that of notorious criminal n bomb blast mastermind, Dawood, played extremely well by Hashmi. He's an opportunist, power hungry n a criminal mind and in the end he's a pathetic and isolated figure. It's clear from Hashmi's performance and the film's overall attitude that this is not a figure to admire or about whom one should hold illusions. The songs were good, the one liners were witty n macho. The  film also has one of my favorite actor, Randeep Hooda.

Milan Luthria is not a big director in Bollywood, but he's done very well here. The direction is brilliant, as is the cinematography. It recreates the 70s era perfectly.

The film tells the story, from the point of view of a police officer, about Sultan Mirza (Ajay)who went from nothing to the ruler of Mumbai, and Shoaib Khan (Emraan),the only son of an honest police officer who wants to make it big so badly.

The performance by Ajay Devgan is simply superb as Sultan Mirza; there isn't a role he cannot do. Emraan is good as Shoaib Khan, but I think his serial kisser/lover boy image just got the better of him here. Kangana Ranaut is good as one of the female leads, as is Prachi Desai as the other one. The problem is that Prachi is that she isn't as convincing in the movie in her role as Kangana is in her role. Still, Prachi has made a mighty good effort.

The film is full of good dialogues; a lot of them are one liners. I can tell you one thing for sure: you won't forget them that easily after you've seen it.

The music of the film is great. The song 'pee loon' stands out from the lot.

Verdict: A good gangster flick providing wholesome entertainment. One of the best films of 2010. I give it 9/10

Once Upon a Time in Mumbai fmovies. This movie is excellent. The drama in the movie is pulsating and very gripping. Direction, Acting, Story and Songs all of them are very well done. The story line is very strong as it relates to Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim. There are very few songs but all of them are superb.

The only bad part I would say is the romance in the middle was little dragging and Prachi does not fit the role of a gangster girl. She does her acting well but you can tell she does not feel very comfortable with some of the roles.

This is definitely one of the good Indian movies in a long, long time. Not to be missed.

Lets get straight, if you think Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a biopic, you're wrong. A police officer(Randeep Hooda) who once traced the changing face of the Mumbai Underworld narrates all his experiences and all his unintentional mistakes which affected everything. Almost every movie-goer has a fascination for gangster movies, and yeah it does not disappoint(almost).. It recreates the era which so many of us have left behind and those who arrived on this planet after 80s.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a story that talks about the entry of mafia for the first time in Mumbai and things unfolded in course of time. It talks about the rise and subsequent fall of the King, and the emergence of the Prince as the super power. It talks about the dialogues which ruled 70s era. It talks about the chic retro look which was the trademark of that era.

The plot does resemble with lives of Haji Mastan(allegedly played by Ajay Devgn) and Dawood Ibrahim(allegedly played by Emraan Hashimi) but whatever is, the screenplay is engrossing and keeps you hooked until you feel about complaining for the length when things get slow in the second half and gradually in the end. But, the dialogues do get lots of claps and whistles in not few but many scenes. Recreating the bygone era is tough and the director, the writer and the art director deserve brownie points for giving the film that authentic feel.

As for acting, Emraan is sure to break free from his lover boy image with this film. This is his finest performance to date. Ajay Devgn has become repetitive, his dialogue delivery and expressions betray you many times, although his character is very strong and he has played it effectively. There was nothing much to do for the ladies(Prachi and Kangana), but they managed to portray their roles 'beautifully'. Randeep Hooda, too, performed well. Pritam's music( in spite of the fact the music is never really 'his') is an ace. But, it was the background score which left an lasting impression even when the movie ended.

When the screenplay is powerful and engaging, direction has to be brilliant. Milan Lutharia successfully recreated that era and his work is exemplary. There should be a special note of the dialogues, also written by Rajat Arora( screenplay) which are fantabulous.

To conclude, I would just say, go for it if you really are interested in the dialogues which no longer have there existence these days(of course allegedly) My Rating: 7/10 Thanks & Regards

It is a well researched movie, the movie is in a flash back narrated by the inspector Agnel. Its about the story of 2 young boy in Mumbaai with the dream of ruling the queen city. The movie is directed keeping in mind the era when the story would have happened and that is what adds reality on celluloid. The background score of the movie is just awesome and after watching it people may get mad about it ,as I am searching all over internet to get that music. It gives the feeling of olden era's music with the new instruments and that will give you a great effect.

The movie is power packed with good one-liners and any one who has interest in dialogs will just love it. Ajay Devgn acting is just superb ,he is well suited for the character that he is portraying .Emraan Hashmi is a bit disgusting because of the dialog delivery,yet he is good.

Overall , the movie is watchable and it will surely remind you the era of olden Indian Cinema.