User reviews

This is a story of Arun Gawli, a well known gangster in Mumbai in the 80's and 90's. When such biopics are shown in a cinematic format they are generally sympathetic toward the main protagonist. The only credible feature of this film is the naked portrayal of the man. At the same time it is the film's greatest drawback. The man was not a master criminal or a great strategist. Things happen and he just reacts to them. There is no insight into his true personality.

The monotonous narrative and far too much voice over makes this a bad film.

Filling woow it's good and very impersive movie. I really like the movie concept. Overall it's value for money. I really love to watching this movie.

Daddy is based on a true story and is definitely the best crime drama film since Ram Gopal Verma's Company (2002). When I first watched Raees this year, I was a little disappointed by its treatment. The screenplay, art direction and performances looked artificial and larger than life. Since that film was fictional it worked and turned out to be another Bollywood mainstream film. Daddy on the other hand is a classic, indie film. The screenplay is non- linear and perfectly executed. Arjun Rampal and Ashim Ahluwalia's screenplay avoided using glorifying dialogues and unnecessary songs to titillate the senses of Indian audience. The story HAS content unlike many Bollywood mainstreams. I think art direction, that felt realistic and detailed, allowed the performances to translate on the screen well. Arjun Rampal as Arun Gawli was intense and very grounded. The supporting cast members are the real deal though. There was gravitas in their performance, especially Nishikant Kamath who played the cop. Kudos to Jessica Lee Gagne and Pankaj Kumar's cinematography. Arjun Rampal's subject matter and Ashim Ahluwalia's direction has presented us with a gritty crime drama that is thrilling till the very end. Definitely worth watching.

Watched on prime and really Arjun Rampal did nice acting and his look was very much impressive also suitting to him. Felt Good to see this kind of crime drama Film 🎥. All actors gave a perfect performance.

1. Excellent character to play 2. Excellent real life story to tell 3. Excellent acting by all actors except police inspector who looks weak.

BAD 1. Story telling while movie is going is bad direction and continuous to through the movie which ruined joy of watching movie. Director should have focus on screen play rather then story telling through the movie.

Arjun Rampal's brilliant Performance is surely the best thing about Daddy! This was such a dark and thrilling film. I am a fan.

The movie is good and real ... No larger than life action,good acting background music ... And they actually created 80's environment....a must watch movie ..arjun and supporting cast is great ... Little bit slow in second half but the movie is good...nishi kamat rocked once again...dialogues are great ...the movie is for those who dnt want masala movies or are not bhai fans

What a chilling experience Daddy is. Arjun Rampal was so phenomenal in it as he brought the raw instincts and powerful appearance of his character. Awesome cinematography of old Mumbai in the 1980s and 1990s.

DADDY begins on a shocking note and you expect the film to be a fast-paced, well-preserved gangster drama. The film however falls a bit immediately but still, the scenes of the 'B.R.A. gang' are engaging. But as the film progresses, it becomes too confusing and incoherent. Too many things are packed in the film's 135 minutes run time. Also there are far too many characters. One fails to understand who exactly is the villain and if it's the system that's the villain, then it's not established very well. It is mentioned that poverty drove Arun to crime but one never gets to see his family struggling due to poor economic conditions. Moreover, the film suffers from another strange problem – the background score and sound design at places is too loud because of which certain dialogues are inaudible.

Arjun Rampal and Ashim Ahluwalia's story is weak and should have been detailed. The screenplay is average as it fails to put together the life of Arun Gawli in a cinematic format. Ritesh Shah's dialogues are strictly okay and fail to register.

Ashim Ahluwalia's direction is the biggest culprit. He fails to do justice to the script, however faulty it may be. With his execution, he could have taken the film to a great height. But barring few scenes and the finale courtroom sequence, he misses the mark. Few scenes are quite bewildering. For instance, the encounter attempt on Arun Gawli at the 'nakabandi' failed to make an iota of sense. And why was Arun using paper ballot to vote when EVMs had already been introduced by then?

I don't know whats wrong with IMDb, rating. But this film surely deserves to be above 8.0 rating for sure. I don't understand why we pathetic Indian audiences can make such an excellent cinema flop and a flop movie into a box office hit. Open your mind rather than your eyes and see this film for sure. A masterpiece from Ahluwalia and film making is to a whole next level. I am predicting this film to win many international awards that is for sure.

All characters are the film doing great work. The screenplay and performance are true to reality and soul of surprised till the end of the movie. This movie will definitely to reserve to watch by everyone. Crime lover this is the best option to watch this movie.......

It's hard to decide what was worse - the story or Arjun Rampal's performance.

The story is told partly through flashbacks, and partly through present day action. One person's flashback leads into another's and quite soon you don't know if you are in the present or a flashback. It's very confusing and takes the viewer out of the film. The flashbacks don't seem to add any value other than tell us how Gawli has been wronged and isn't all that bad. The fact that we need to be told rather than seeing for ourselves just about sums up the screenplay's shortcomings.

Arjun Rampal cannot act. He should really stop trying. Mercifully, Farhan Akhtar wasn't required to act. Between the oversize sunglasses and the oblique camera angles, we didn't have to see much of his face or his attempts at acting.

Production design was great. Supporting cast, especially Nishikant Kamat were great. That made the film just about watchable.

His acting always are best. I am big fan of Arjun Rampal. Really enjoyed his acting. Full worth of money.

Although I haven't been a great fan of Arjun Rampal's acting talent, one look at the pic of Arjun Rampal in a Gandhi topi & I was anxious to find out how well the movie turns out. I have always been a mafia movies aficionado & was hoping that after a slew of films based on Dawood Ibrahim, we would get to watch a decent movie based on the life of another gangster of the bygone era. The movie which is probably the first one based on notorious gangster Arun Gawli, starts off on 1960's Mumbai. It traces the rise of the dreaded gangster, his rivalry with another gangster & his nemesis - an inspector who keeps tormenting him throughout his journey. The director- Ashim Ahluwalia, must be lauded for his thorough research. Although a lot of characters names & events have been altered due to legal issues, the movie does spill out quite a few secrets about the Mumbai underworld. Crime/Mafia movie afficionados who have loved watching Satya, Comapny & especially Vaastav will like this movie. Biopics require the lead actor to have a certain degree of resemblance to the character he is portraying & Arjun Rampal does look uncannily similar to "Daddy". Nishikant Kamath who plays the main antagonist, is menacing as the corrupt cop who is out to finish the don of Dagdi chawl. The first half kept us entertained & anxious to know how the movie unfolds in the second half. But for all its research, the movie falters in the second half. Neither do you dread the principal character & neither do you emphatize with him. The movie lacks soul. Although it is good to not go OTT, some level of exaggeration is necessary to enhance the viewing experience. Farhan Akhtar has been grossly miscast as a Dawood Ibrahim type character. Several notorious murders which the don was alleged to have committed, are not in the movie. The music by Sajid-Wajid was average. The ending did leave us unsatisfied. Besides the action scenes are not enough to quench our thirst for gore & neither does the film have enough punchlines. It is a movie worth a watch, but is not in the league of Satya, Vaastav or Company. But do watch it for Arjun Rampal's performance. It is easily his best till date.

This movie is the most popular movie im watch this movie good story

Don't know why Indian Critics are not into praise these kinds of movies. Not an award has given. How much of a disappointment?

There are thousands of soap operas & movies with bad cinematography which they call blockbusters. - Ex: Happy New Year. Then they measure the popularity of actor & actress when giving an award - Ex: Best Actress award has given to the same actress by every award show when there are other great performances left.

Not that those winners do not deserve it. The point is there are always some good actors who are not even on the nominated list. Now what about Arjun?

The movie spares no smiles and laughter in portraying gawli as a reluctant gangster, for me the real hero of daddy is the sound editor Sangik basu and cinematographer Jessica Lee ange ,they have done a wonderful job ,this is not an easy story to tell,if you are looking for stylish take on gangsterism this is the movie you have to watch

Worst movie in Hindi cinema. The movie is too slow with negative ending.They tried best to depict the character of mumbai gangster however, the story does not have much masala. The negative character was portrayed by Farhan Akhtar who does not have hard voice like the typical don character. I would suggest not to watch this kinds of movie in the theater.

Loved the movie as it was not glorifying and over-romanticizing its hero! Also, kudos for not inserting unnecessary boring love story as a subplot.

With an attempt to stun you with a real-life story as the only available weapon, Daddy charges forward like a gritty gangster drama. The first few minutes involving deaths and a deadpan introduction to the protagonist succeed in hooking you to the screen. But the problem with director Ashim Ahluwalia's ambitious and long-anticipated project is that it falters after the first 30 minutes. A couple of kills (that actually move the plot ahead) in the beginning, and it's all a loop after that. I understand that gore and violence are important in a gangster film, but when you realize that they are the only thing at play here, you start to lose interest. Arjun Rampal plays the real- life don Arun Gawli with much conviction, and so do the rest of the cast - but what dampens the experience is the shoddy screenplay. It just tries to say a lot of things without discipline, at the same time, and without a structure. That is what works against an otherwise good gangster film that highlights the world of crime in Indian in the 80s and 90s. Daddy is a good film in parts, thanks to the performances, but don't expect too much. TN.

A crime drama film, based on the life of gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia and written by him along with Arjun Rampal, is released Today.

The film is going on a slower pace throughout its running time. That's why it requires patience to deal with it. This type of cinema in Bollywood is rear. So, it is time for us to support it by increasing the box office numbers.

I don't know about its box office prediction, but surely know that it will be counted as Arjun's best movie. I was surprised to see his name in writing as well as producing. He is sincere about his work throughout his career. This will add bonus.

I am a fan of Farhan Akhtar. I think that is the reason why my mind was forcing me to like his character of Bhai (Ibrahim). Otherwise the thin body doesn't suit the character, as we have seen Emraan and Rishi earlier. Aishwarya Rajesh is the lead, and after seeing the photo of Gawli's wife in end credits, I believe she's the perfect choice. Nishikant Kamant once again rocks.

Direction is fantastic. You can feel the darkness of 70's and 80's. The assassination in lift is the scene of the film! Never seen that kind of scene in any cinema. Also, editing is griping. Despite having a slower pace, the editing is finely done that you can not miss anything.

Music is given by Sajid Wajid. Hardly three songs are there. Suitable for that particular situation. Background music has one splendid tune which we've heard in Ganesh Visarjan.

Don't go for this movie just for the sake of entertainment. If you want that, than go for Badshaaho. Daddy is the film which you have to give a try just for living the life of Arun Gawli. What went wrong that leads him to join a gang and why is he still in jail are the questions which this film clarifies.

One thing I liked the most is the dialogue of Arun, which is perfectly suitable in life of youngsters. Most of the classmates of mine are going abroad and will settle there for sure, I want to say them that- 'Mee Bhagoda Naahi, Apne Desh Ko Chhodke Kahin Nahi Jaaunga!'

After seeing the story of Manya Survey and Arun Gawli, I feel that the path we choose is given by God. No bad person is bad by birth. Or not by heart, too. We people are the biggest supporters of these kind of gangsters, who somehow wanted to change their path, but 'we' didn't let them to do that. Shame on us.

Why are we holding the past of any person, whether he/she's a gangster, a politician, a thief, a prostitute or a gambler, and not providing him/her that space which can change the profession. Till we don't change our mindsets, nothing will change. A chance is what they needed.

After checking the mixed reviews for this movie. I was curious to watch it. The The movie just drifts along with regular shooting scenes and flashbacks. The character development is completely missing here. It doesn't have any punchy dialog or interesting plots or twists and turns. One gets a feel of a log just floating on with current of water. If you are fan of gangster movies, then it could be tolerable. But don't expect it anything close to Vastav or Satya. Arjun Rampal's acting seems to be ok. But rest of the cast is unnoticeable.

Arjun Rampal totally embraces the Arun Gawli's persona. I was surprised to see this violent gangster as a changed man and public hero. His acting is really amazing i enjoy this movie .Highly recommended!