Ashwin Dhar, known for films such as D-Day, Padmaavat, and others, had a primary role in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar films. In Part 2, he had a crisp but notable role as gangster Arshad Pappu. The actor, who is basking in the film’s success along with the rest of the cast, opened up about the layered approach behind how Dawood Ibrahim (Bade Sahab played by Danish Iqbal) was portrayed in the film. He exclusively spoke to India TV about research, writing, and realism, and offered a nuanced take on how fiction and reality blended beautifully in Aditya Dhar’s storytelling.
Ashwin Dhar on Dawood Ibrahim’s portrayal as Bade Sahab in Dhurandhar: Part 2
Ashwin Dhar began by acknowledging the uncertainty around how closely research reflects reality, especially when dealing with real-life figures like Dawood Ibrahim. “There are two things about the research. I don’t know about that, maybe he was [Dawood Ibrahim]… jo bhi research huya hoga, maybe wo aise situation mein hoga. (Whatever research must have been done, maybe he was in such situations.) The second thing is, when the director is writing the script, although the situations and the characters are real, but usko ek film mein piro dena aur uske baad uss film ke narrative ko interesting banana aur wo kaise logon ke saamne laaya jaye, wo writer ka kaam hain (To weave it into a film and make the narrative engaging, and how it is presented to the audience, that is the writer’s job) jo ki Aditya Dhar ne khud hi film likhi hain (Aditya Dhar has written the film himself).”
He emphasised that while the roots may lie in reality, the final product is still shaped by storytelling choices. “Wo uska brilliance hain ki usne dikhaya hai. Usne chahe woh character mein kitna sachcha hai, woh mujhe nahi maloom. (That is his brilliance, that he has shown it. How truthful he has been to the character, I do not know.) Woh shayad research se sach hi ho sakta hai ya nahi bhi ho sakta hai, because at the end of the day ye ek fiction hai. (It may be true due to research, or it may not be, because at the end of the day, this is fiction.) Fiction bhi hai, reality ko fiction ko mix karke ek fiction hai. (It is fiction, a mix of reality and fiction.) But ek cheez zaroor hai ki saare characters ko bahut real world mein rakha hai. (But one thing is certain, all the characters have been kept very much in the real world.) Toh Dawood ko bhi real world mein hain… (So Dawood has also been kept in the real world).”
Ashwin Dhar lauds Aditya Dhar’s brilliance
Ashwin pointed out that the intent was not to dramatise but to ground the character in reality, stripping away exaggeration. “Dawood chhodiye, koi bhi gangster ho ya koi bhi ho, bada aadmi ho… bhai jab woh apne ek space mein hote hain toh real hi hote hain. (Leave Dawood aside, any gangster or any powerful person, when they are in their own space, they are real.) Really hote honge na. (They must really be like that, right?) Toh aise over the top toh ghar pe baat nahi karenge, apne logon se baat nahi karenge. (They would not talk in an over-the-top manner at home or with their people.) Toh uss zone ko Aditya ne bilkul sabko bata ke rakha tha ‘Bhai yeh sab real hai, real world hai’. (Aditya had clearly explained to everyone that this is all real, this is the real world.) Fictionalise kiya hai jo bhi storyline, woh theek hai. (The storyline has been fictionalised, that is fine.) Toh usi hisaab se Dawood ko bhi pesh kiya usne ki ek aadmi kitna vulnerable ho sakta hai. (Accordingly, he has presented Dawood in a way that shows how vulnerable a person can be.) Uss hisaab se woh vulnerability rakhi hai usne. (He has kept that vulnerability intact.) Toh woh brilliance hai (That is the brilliance.)”
Stay tuned to know how Ashwin Dhar shot for the brutal ‘football’ scene with Danish Pandor (who played Uzair Baloch) under Aditya Dhar’s direction in Part 2 of this interview.
