User Reviews

There used to be a time when Bollywood was overly glamorous, the middle class always in awe of the rich, law that was still being written and order that was established by the ruling underworld mafia and when, a crore of rupees really meant a lifetime's wealth. Lives were less valuable back then and nobody lit candles for the fallen. This was when the city was called 'Bombay'. Director Milan Luthria takes us to 'Once upon a time in Mumbaai' in the era of a smuggler who sought control of the seas and his apprentice who changed the meaning of crime altogether.

The inspiration for the character of Sultan Mirza (Ajay Devgan) was certainly derived from the erstwhile RobinHood Smuggler Haji Mastan Mirza. Sultan's attire, his background, his occupation, his interest for the welfare of the poor, his love for a Bollywood heroine and production of movies are obvious parallels to Mastan. Devgan portrays his character with ease and familiarity but makes a remarkable impression with the dialogues written by Rajat Arora. The movie is a bible for the man on the streets in Bombay. Each one as if a quotation by a philosopher and yet dramatic in effect when combined with a sharp screenplay. The result is what you would relate to as a Salim-Javed penned underworld drama. Sultan's love interest is the glamorous looking Rehana (Kangana Ranaut) who falls for his one-liners and cleanly ironed white outfits. Kangana looks gorgeous and performs naturally in a role that also is familiar territory for her. She even over-shines the beautiful Prachi Desai who could do with a meatier role next time.

In the aftermath of the '93 serial blasts, a despondent ACP Agnel Wilson (Randeep Hooda) regretfully narrates the tale of how two criminals shaped the future of the city and how he trusted the wrong one among the two to turn away from the underworld. His mistake resulted in just one of them surviving the decades of criminal dominance when the ghoda was the law and Shoaib Khan's apathy to the city, was the order. Although Emraan Hashmi has portrayed similar negative roles in the past, he adds some sleekness to a reckless character who would shape up to be Dawood Ibrahim. Shoaib's ambition makes him greedy, zealous and rash. Eventually, his ways diverge completely from the more humble, loop-hole smuggling approach of Sultan's who, as everyone acknowledged, never caused harm to the city but instead, bestowed it with generosity towards the masses. This disparity in attitudes is supremely entertaining. Here we have Sultan enraged over Shoaib's management of his business in his absence, ordering his men "Shehar Saaf chahiye mujhe!" The combination of such screenplay and dialogues is essentially the strength of this film and the reason why it has its place in the hallmark of crime sagas.

Pritam's two romantic tracks make up whatever good there is in the album. Mohit Chauhan's melodious Pee Loon and the combination of Tulsi Kumar and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan make Tum Jo Aaye a hummable track in the romantic rains.

Milan Luthria directs his best after the promising 'Kachche Dhaage' with some powerful writing by Rajat Arora. Numerous scenes are packed with metaphorical dialogues that will build the required tension without any drama. The background music, cinematography and the crisp editing also make this a commendable thriller. Perhaps there hasn't been a more worthy tribute to the real Dons of yesteryears and even though, the climax does not bear any resemblance to characters or events in real life, the end-note pays a serious tribute that sums up the story and leaves us with a helpless grasp of events that have taken place in real life, due to a real person. "Beyond the myth, lies Mumbai's greatest betrayal."

8.148 on a scale of 1-10.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI – CATCH IT ( A- ) Once Upon a time in Mumbaai is quite different take on the Mumbaai Don world… which is less brutal and hardcore then Company or Satya… An amazing movie with amazing performances by all the leading actors… Ajay Devgan yet again proved that he is par excellence… his portrayal of Sultan Mirza is effortless and complete natural… Imran Hasmi in his Bad Boy Avatar again proved he is the best Bad boy Around in Bollywood. Gangana Ranaut looks drop dead gorgeous and exquisite… Prachi Desai looks innocent and extremely pretty... Randeep Hoda proved that he has abundant of talent… Gauhar Khan's item number was Classy and looks Hot as Always. The music of the movie is really enchanting…. Overall a great movie by Milan Luthria, who didn't mess up the movie with hardcore violence & scenes…, must watch it!

If you like storytelling, you are going to enjoy it. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai is all about the rise two smugglers / gangsters in Mumbai i.e. Sultan Mirza (played by Ajay Devgun) and Shoaib Khan (Emraan Hashmi). Movie begins with ACP Agnel Wilson (Randeep Hooda) narrating the life stories of these two smugglers. Sultan Mirza, a poor boy, who enters into this business at a very small age becomes very strong and powerful man of mumbai due to his strength, bravery & wisdom. He also divides mumbai into different zones and allocates each of them to different smugglers and chooses the seashore of mumbai for himself. Sultan soon becomes messiah of mumbai by rescuing poor from difficult situations and giving charity to needy.

On the other hand, Shoaib Khan, spoiled son of a police inspector, becomes a thief. Shoaib's father requests Sultan Mirza to help him in this regard and Sultan helps shoaib in establishing a electronics shop which shoaib in unable to continue due to his temperament & reputation. Shoaib requests Sultan Mirza to let him work with him in smuggling business to which Sultan agrees. Here the plot of the movie resembles with that of film Company in which Ajay Devgun inducts Vivek Oberoi as his worker and The Company gets more strengthened. Shoaib Khan soon proves that he is fully capable of working for Sultan Mirza and Mirza's reliance on him increases till a time comes when Sultan goes out of city to execute his future plans and makes Shoaib the caretaker in his absence. This is the point where the problem starts between the two.

Director (Milan Luthria) has done a wonderful job by recreating the era of 70's & 80's. First half of the movie is better than the second half due to well-balanced comedy, romance, action; nonetheless, movie does not loses grip in the second half. Rajat Arora (writer) has also done a good job with good dialogues; nevertheless, end of the movie could have been made better. Idea of Sultan Mirza's character seems to have been inspired from life of Haji Mastan Mirza who was a smuggler of Mumbai and had nothing to do with underworld (that is drug, narcotics etc). Ajay Devgun has been given the same look which Haji Mastan Mirza was famous for i.e. white dress, chauffeur driver Mercedes car, imported cigarettes in hand, big donor / charity worker. Haji Mastan also married a bollywood actress and so does Sultan Mirza in the movie who marries top actress of his time Rehana (played by Kangana Ranaut). Although roles of both ladies Rehana and Mumtaz (Shoaib's love played by Prachi Desai) are very small; both actresses have fulfilled their duties. Here, credit also goes to costume designers who were successful in giving the actors & actresses the accurate 70's / 80's look.

As far as acting is concerned, this is one best movies of Ajay Devgun's career (performance wise) and its seems that this role could not have been suited on any other actor apart from Ajay Devgun. Two negatives of the movies are 1) Emraan Hashmi - who gave his best in the movie but (unfortunately) couldn't break his lover boy's image 2) Randeep Hooda - who has not been utilized properly. It would have been better if Shoaib Khan's role was given to Hooda due to the arrogant, anger look on his face.

Pritam's music is one of the strengths of the movie. All the tracks have been composed wonderfully and according to the moment at which they have been placed in the script. Singing great Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's "Tum Jo Aaye" & "Pee Loo" by Mohit Chauhan was splendid.Last but not the least, apart from the songs, superb background score was the biggest plus of the movie especially in the latter half.

Conclusion: Highly recommended to all the cine goers especially to gangster / mafia movie lovers.

Ajay Devgan rocks in this movie. a must watch movie. Excellent. You seldom get period dramas in Bollywood which are not about historical characters. This year that way has been very lucky that way. Couple of months ago we had Badmaash Company and now we have Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai. Of course both are completely different from each other, the first being set in the fast 90s and the latter being set in colorful 70s. And director Milan Luthria makes enough efforts to make OUATIM look very authentic and worth a watch for its settings.

Settings apart the film has its pluses with some superb performances and great dialogs. However the problem with the film is the not so new storyline and the very slow screenplay. Though the characters are well established and well rounded the writer takes the entire first half to do that without much movement in the story. And then as you expect fireworks in the second half it fizzles out too fast.

OUATIM is the story of two gangsters. While one was ethical the other was reckless. It has inspirations of the characters of infamous smuggler Haji Mastan and now infamous don Dawood Ibrahim. The film is about Sultan (Ajay Devgn) who labored through his childhood and became a smuggler as he grew up completely ruling the sea routes. He however always preferred keeping the city clean and never smuggles which was against his conscience. Shoaib (Emraan Hashmi) is inspired by Sultan's life as a child and wants to it as big. He is a son of a police officer but has no inclination towards the law. As he grows up he makes his way to Sultan's gang and proves himself good enough to go up the ladder fast. However his reckless ambitions soon outgrew Sultan and he decided to take over the city on his own.

The story is built on the line – 'behind the myth is the city's greatest betrayal story'. The screenplay does not give much importance to the betrayal. The slow pace of the first half could be a put off. Also funnily Sultan and his girlfriend Rehana never seem to age as they continue to look the same even as Shoaib grows from a child to rustic young crook.

The film has its pluses. Luthria has taken care of everything – right from trains to cars to sunglasses to shoes to buildings! Everything takes us back to the 70s. Luthria handles the dramatic moments well and great use has been made of dialoguebaazi. All actors have come up with some memorable performances. Ajay Devgn's overpowering presence is matched by Emraan's charm. Kangna Ranaut and Prachi Desai do their bits well though they don't bear many consequences on the story itself. Randeep Hooda is effective as the police office.

Overall, 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai' is an entertainer. It does not need any effort to be understood of liked. It is the mere magic of characters created that makes this film worth watching.

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.

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

the film does re-open the familiar X-files of Mumbai's most well-known crime story -- the stormy relationship between Haji Mastan and his protégée Dawood Ibrahim, even though it does begin with the mandatory disclaimer of steering clear from real life. But it does it with an elegance and an intensity that keeps you glued to your seats, despite the fact that you know where the drama is headed for. And that's because director Milan Luthria chooses to anchor his film in the emotional heartland rather than dabble with guns and gore. Refreshingly, the film goes low on violence and focuses more on the emotional quotient, throwing light on how Sultan Mirza (an awesome Ajay Devgn) rose to his Shahenshah-esquire status in the underworld and how he tried to tame the roguish new team member, Shoaib Khan (an edgy Emraan Hashmi). Alas, in vain! And here-in lies the dramatic core of Rajat Arora's dynamic script which catapults the two lead characters as a study in contrast. While Sultan is showcased as the archetypal gentleman crook with a strong moral fib re, Shoaib is unprincipled and rotten to the core. Like that Dada of all Dons, Vito Corleone, our Desi Godfather too refuses to do drugs and insists he dabbles only with stuff banned by the law of the land not by his conscience. Shoaib, on the other hand, is game for any and everything -- treachery, infidelity, gang war, bloodshed -- in his unbridled bid for power. Of course, he begins as the trusted acolyte of the man he venerates as God himself (Maine to bhagwan Chan Lia Ha, ab AP insane Chane, he tells the iconic Sultan), but it doesn't take long before he sets his eyes on the wider horizon. Mumbai mere niche Ur main Dukey Ki Tarah up (Mumbai below me while I scale above as smoke), he declares and roller-coasts his way on the road to pure crime and total immorality, ending up as the outlaw who managed to rule the city with remote control. Interestingly, despite presenting Sultan as a larger-than-life figure, the film does manage to keep its moral compass straight and has a seminal sequence which categorically brands all its seemingly heroic characters as criminals, charisma notwithstanding.

Interspersed between this titanic tale of a gang lord and his wannabe are the tender love stories of the two fugitives. Once again, done with a delicate finesse which creates memorable mush on screen as Sultan serenades the actress Rehana (Kangna Ranaut) and Shoaib tries a Bobby with his shy showroom girl Mumtaz (Prachi Desai).

After the innovative and experimental Love Sex Ur Dhoka, producer Ektaa Kapoor once again scores with a complete entertainer which boasts of almost everything: a compelling story, crisp and absolutely state-of-the-art duologue's (Rajat Arora), an artistic period piece ambiance (Aseem Mishra), a lilting music score (Pritam) and some riveting performances. Both Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi breathe fire and brimstone in to their portrayal of the two disparate gangsters and come up with two of the most mesmeric acts of the year, while Kangna Ranaut and Prachi Desai pitch in as perfect and picturesque molls. Add to this an in-ROM ensemble cast which includes principled cop Randeep Hooda and loyal Sultan aide, Naved Ahmad (both are extremely watchable) and you have an entire catwalk of flesh and blood characters in a cinema that is generally peopled with cardboard cut-outs.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai offers you both substance and soul, even as it dabbles with a slice of reality. Don't miss it.

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.

I had this movie in my watch list for almost a year! I finally watched it! I am glad I DID!. The characters, chemistry between each of them, acting, cinematography, everything is amazing. BUT the most importantly the poetic dialogues are really amazing and so delicious to listen. Ajay Devgan top 5 movies!Hats off!

Philosophies of two principle characters defines them. Sultan Mirza (Devgn) repeatedly quips, "Jab Dost Banake Kaam Ho Sakata Hai To Dushman Kyu Banaye?" (why make enemies when you can work out by making them friends?). More of Godfather philosophy. He is a smuggler alright but never peddled anything more than goods like gold. He divides Mumbai in five territories not to make rivals within themselves. each enjoying their part of share, less harm more harmony. Cash keeps flowing in. He is a wise fellow and already Robin Hood like local figure.

Second one is of malicious Shoaib Khan (Hashmi), a small-timer dreaming big, "Zindagi Ho To Smuggler Jaisi, Saari Duniya Raakh Ki Tarah Niche Aur Khud Dhue Ki Tarah Upar". He may lack wisdom of his master who took him under his wings but not brains nor ambition and has plenty of greed. Power hungry kind. His blood is always up. He smirks at territory marking, "Mumbai hai ya Draupadi?". He is unscrupulous and corrupt who smuggled not only gold but drugs, guns, started contract killings and emerged as most powerful threats, wanted by Interpol and whose net worth is in billions today.

I liked Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, Milan Lutharia's 70′s retro mafia flick more of origin story of a master and his protégé alliance and their fall out. Based on Haji Mastan (disclaimer denies that though, more of a wink) and Dawood Ibrahim. Haji was kingpin of Mumbai smuggling syndicate who went into politics eventually while Dawood transformed it into sprawling organized crime citadel. Loaded with one-liners (so much so it hurts sometimes), heavy style and filled entertaining performances feels like the right kind of cinema director had in mind. Gangster lifestyle streams in front of us where nylon printed shirts was in fashion, Mercedes logo entered frame before vehicle, clippety-clop race- courses were gambling hang outs, booze, smoke, glamour parties sporting dance numbers (they chose who else than great RD Burman) evoke that period faithfully.

It also makes room for some old-fashioned romance. Mirza woos bollywood starlet Rehana (Kangana), Shoaib solicits neighbourhood girl Mumtaaz (Prachi). Apart from the romantic angle it brings out their lead characters itchings. Rehana complains "Log pine ke bad romantic ho jate hai aur tum flashback me chale jate ho" while he broods over his tormenting past when he used to be dock-worker. She suggests there should a film on you which will be instant hit, a homage to Amitabh Bacchan's Deewar. Shoaib on other hand drinking hard can't swallow low life at any cost he clears to Mumtaaz. While Hashmi pleases in his flashy role, Devgn plays his role with simmering intelligence. Worth your ticket's money.

"Once Upon a Time in Mumbai" is obviously a film that is trying to capitalize on the success of such classics as "Once Upon a Time in the West" as well as "Once Upon a Time in America" by Sergio Leone. Fortunately, this Indian film is good enough that it's more than just a film borrowing a title!

The story begins with a cop trying to kill himself. He survives and then tells the following story about corruption. First, he talks about an anti-hero named Sultan. Sultan is a mobster but he has a very, very strict code of ethics. In his own way, he's a decent fellow and manages to unify all the mobs of Mumbai--bringing them peace and keeping them from selling drugs and destroying the poor. In essence, Sultan is a bad man with a heart of gold.

Then the story weaves in the story of Shoaib. Shoaib is almost nothing like Sultan. Instead of being a poor orphan like Sultan, Shoaib was raised by a policeman...but Shoaib is completely amoral, angry and vicious. For a while, Shoaib goes to work for Sultan but, not surprisingly, there's a falling out and I really don't want to tell you more...just see the story.

This film has a lot going for it. It's extremely cinematic and well crafted. In particular, I really liked Ajay Devgn (Sultan) as he was a nice combination of power, decency AND corruption--not an easy role to play. Well worth seeing and exciting...though some might dislike the downbeat ending. Considering the characters were based on real mobsters (yes, you can ignore the text at the beginning that says it's all fictional), you can understand the tone of the film at the finale.

Pros: 1)Good era to know about Bombay(yes, i like to call it Bombay), when things were heated up and city was on top of crime and development. 2) Acting, specially Ajay Devgan n side cast, i never took Emran/Kangana's acting seriously, Randeep huda would have suited better as role of Emran's. 3) Camera work, at some time.

Cons: 1) Dialogues were big let down, very heavy, lot of metamorphic idioms....more like seventies, with every other dialogue coupled with set phrase. 2) Screen-play, there was never a twist, story was open from beginning, director didn't build the climax too. Gangster plot was wasted, and character of sultan mirza was too sugar coated to give movie a real story feel. 3) Unnecessary romance for both leads was not required, why Bollywood still need romance in each movie?

In nutshell, if you are Ajay Devgan fan, watch movie once, other wise, wait for the DVD print n see it at home, not worth wasting money on multiplexes.

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.

When you watch a movie about Mumbai being from mumbai the first thing one would want is the dialogues to be in the local language or at least the manner in which they are delivered to be of some semblance but sadly our own "Bollywood" filmmakers have done a bad job at it than someone like Danny Boyle in SDM.

To expect once upon a time in mumbai to rise to the level of Slum Dog Millionaire in terms of the story telling and the reality would be a big mistake but these days Bollywood is reaching out much wider than before and has a lot of investment flowing in as well from all quarters. So Once upon a time does deliver a lot of substance and entertainment but it still lacks the feel of being anywhere near reality as its title purports it to be.

By now everyone is aware of the story of this movie about the rise of a Robinhood like gangster inspired from Haji Mastan played by Ajay Devgan and his ardent follower turned henchman turned enemy inspired from Dawood played by Imraan Hashmi. Most of the movie was meant to be a sort of showcase of the lives of these smugglers and kingpins , their alliances and disputes as well as the struggle between them and a weak police force. All this from the point of view of a failed police officer. But some of the vulgarities are replaced with the rosiness of bollywood by focusing more on the love stories of the 2 main gangsters more than all these aspects of the story which would concern the narrator's point of view. The love story is given so much importance that the gangsters end up looking more like caricatures of a typical Tapori Romeo than being capable of becoming the heads of a crime syndicate. This is a sorely lacking pint in the character of Shuaib Khan(imraan hash mi) who is barely tolerable in any of the scenes or situations let alone displaying the sharpness or passion of the most feared Don of mumbai. Most of the times he ends up either arguing with friends or messing up with other fellow gangsters or parading his girlfriend who for some reason keeps sticking onto him despite a lack of any connection to his inner character or decency in his attitude towards her. The gullible aspect of entrusting responsibilities on Shuaib by Sultan Mirza(Ajay Devgan) seems totally unconvincing considering how much intelligent the character of Sultan is portrayed to be. If that weren't enough Shuaib's differences with Sultan are more visible to an outsider like the police inspector than Sultan himself which would make no sense at all.

The dialogues and their delivery is no doubt very powerful and at times thought provoking but it severely lacks any realism or conveys the context of the story or the intelligence of the characters. Shuaib is then forced down to appear like a leader even though none of his actions or words make him appear to be so and on the other hand Sultan falls into a betrayal that would seem so obvious to those he has dealt with shrewdly in the past. All of this weakens the story a bit along with the slow pacing of events.

I think Ajay devgan redeems this movie from a downward spiral which brings out a memorable performance in him, He completely excludes command and domination in every scene. His co-star Kagna Ranaut also delivers to her role quite believably. The other 2 co-stars do their part but again Imraan Hashmi seems a wrong choice for the role of a don. It seems like he was chosen for the lover boy side more than the gangster side of the role as most of the time he is seen pursuing a love interest than doing anything worthy of a crime head.

In summary this movie is more bollywood than a historical drama and the filmmakers did no justice to the inclusion of the name of Mumbai in the title in terms of the atmosphere.Watch it for Ajay Devgan's best performance!

Surprising movie, and a good surprise ! The Bollywood style takes a bit of time to get used to (I never watched a Bollywood movie before), but once you start to get used to it you really get into the story.

The story itself is good, the actors as well, Ajay Devgn and its character making me think of a Danny Trejo, but subtler. The set and mood are very refreshing, far from the usual European, American or East Asian cinema we get used to. The soundtrack, nicely mixing Indian pop and electro/rock, is right on.

Last but not least - Bollywood targeting the huge Indian market before the rest of the world - this movie gives the action and standards we are used to without loosing its spirit, making it feel like an 80's movie, in a good way, more mature than the latest American and European productions.

I enjoyed it and recommend if you come with an opened mind !

Bollywood's fascination with Hollywood movies continues with Milan Luthria selecting a title highly inspired from two cult Western movies of ace director Sergio Leone,known as "Once Upon A Time In The West" and "Once Upon A Time in America".(Interestingly, this also reminds me the tag line of Aamir Khan's "Lagaan" which was again "Once Upon a Time in India".) Apart from its catchy title, the film heavily takes references from the real life of Haji Mastaan And Dawood, two famous names of the Mumbai underworld, which was then called Bambai.

Hence I was expecting a lot from OUATIM and its director Milan Luthria, who gave us two entertaining movies, "Taxi No. 9-2-11" and "Kachhe Dhaage" in the past. But all my expectations were only partly satisfied with few commendable performances in the movie and the rest was nothing great or exceptional. In reality, the movie has everything like seen before and has all easily predictable scenes in its old and overused storyline. In fact quite surprisingly I also found many sequences conceived and shot in a very childish way which was never expected in a project of this stature.

It right away starts with a very questionable smuggling sequence involving a rushing train and a truck crossing the railway lines. In order to hide the truck from the Police Checking, Ajay Devgan and his close associate decide to cross the railway track far away from the check post in a funny style. They just remove two parallel panels of the railway lines taking off all its nut bolts with a simple tool, cross their truck and then easily put the big iron panels back in place for the train to move over them. I really didn't know it was that easy to just rip off the railway lines with a simple tool and then put them back in few minutes. If it can really be done without a blast then its indeed a great and innovative tip from the writer-director for all notorious people out there.

Till the intermission, the film moves at a very slow pace where an Inspector (Randeep Hooda), who has just recovered from a Suicide attempt is actually narrating the whole story of the relationship between the two smugglers. The only saving grace in the first half is Emraan Hashmi, who entertains with his well written one liners and expressive eyes. But again his sequences in the jewellery shop along with Prachi Desai are written very carelessly. Even when he is not related to the underworld at that moment, the Jewellery Shop Owner keeps ignoring or tolerating his unacceptable behaviour with the rich customers and also doesn't take away Prachi's job for having such kind of relationships with illegal elements. A sequence which at once made me search for the names of the writers.

Another important aspect of the movie which falls flat without any long lasting impression is the love angle between Ajay Devgan, a smuggler and Kangna Ranaut, a film actress. The on-location shooting scenes and references of Bollywood which could have been the highlight of the movie prove to be the weakest link in this gangster flick. Post Intermission the Bollywood angle takes a back seat and the story mainly moves into the revolt plot of Emraan Hashmi wherein you can easily predict every next scene and the climax without any extra efforts.

However, one great merit of the movie remains its Background Score which has the required punch and melody, suiting its gangster background like a "T". In other technical departments the Art director tries to replicate the 70s-80s ambiance on the screen and does a good job. Along with the Cinematographer, using only a few things such as the get-ups, cars and currency notes, he manages well to create the magic of that old Bombay. Pritam once again comes with a winning track in "Pee Loon" but his adaptation of two R.D. Burman tracks in a song isn't that enjoyable.

Ajay Devgan, though excels as the Big Don but his performance is just a repeated polished act of what he had already done in COMPANY. Emraan Hashmi is the actual winner here with a brilliant performance presented in style, especially in the first half. Kangna Ranaut looks gorgeous and acts well but I felt like she had recently gone through some lips enhancement surgery, which was clearly visible in her close ups. Prachi Desai tries hard, but doesn't get any author backed role to prove herself. So she remains there in the movie as an unused asset. Randeep Hooda is competent, but again he gets an unexplained kind of role of an Inspector who attempts suicide feeling guilty, after decades of his professional relationship with the gangster. Avtar Gill as the minister is fine but Gauhar Khan goes over the top with her whitish make up and wastes a good opportunity to catch some eye balls.

As a conclusion, Yash Chopra's DEEWAR still remains the most impressive film inspired from the happening life of Haaji Mastaan. Incidentally, "Deewar" also finds a mention in OUATIM itself when Kangna shares an idea with Ajay and says "Let's make a movie on your life with a new actor who is making waves called Amit." It seems like director Milan Luthria sincerely wanted to pay his tribute to the great legend and his DEEWAR with these few lines.

Summing up, you can watch ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAI only for its good performances and great background score. But as far as its overall movie experience is concerned, it has nothing exceptional or fresh to offer in the gangster movie genre.

Mumbai goes rewind with 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai', does this tribute flashback work? In parts, YES, in parts, NO. Milan Luthria's direction is sharp, but the writing is half-baked.

Gangster films have always caught Media attention, and so did 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai', but somehow this flick doesn't rank amongst those classics. A tale of a gangster/robin-hood and a complete Hitler, has it's moments, but at the end of the day, it gets restricted by it's unavoidable flaws. The film begins well, and the characters of Sultan Mirza & Shoaib Khan have appeal, but it's the writing in the second hour, which pulls down the momentum. The culmination however, is effective and note-worthy.

Milan Luthria is in complete form this time. His direction is sharp, and truly commendable. The Screenplay, as mentioned, is flawed. Aseem Mishra's is Cinematography stylish. Pritam's music is superb, most of the songs are of chart-buster category.

In the acting department, Ajay Devgn shines as Sultan Mirza. Emraan Hashmi is awkward in most scenes. He doesn't really suit the part. Kangna Ranaut looks stunning each time she appears on screen, and does her part naturally. Prachi Desai is alright. Randeep Hooda is good, in a brief role. Naved Aslam & Avtar Gill are passable.

On the whole, an above-average fare. Watch it if you must!

This movie was very different, great dialogues, acting, costumes, playback music, songs everything was great. rating below 8 is maybe because no Khans in the movie

A tale of two gangsters in the city of Mumbai....err.. Bombay! Once upon a Time...., set in 70s, shows Sultan Mirza's (Ajay Devgan) rise to power and his ultimate demise after his opponent Shoaib (Emraan Hashmi), defies to oust him. The film transports you to the Mumbai then. The 70s (cliched) film dialogues, the bling and peppy numbers of that era, the look, the costumes (flared bell-bottoms) and, most importantly, the simplicity of the narrative. Sultan, a smuggler, gangster, I felt, was a less-sauve Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan in Sarkar) of sorts, a benevolent godfather-like figure to the oppressed. He may not have the Bachchan-like persona but manages to impress all the way. Be it as a mobster or a lover. His 60- second scene where he woos Rehanna (Kangana Ranawat) is to watch out for, besides many others. Kangana, in her '70s-film actress' role, is petite and pretty. Her dialogue delivery is clunky at times (which I have noticed in other films too). Imran, as a chindi-chor in his childhood (the kid was impactful with his dialogues), is as convincing as the wannabe-Sultan Mirza in his youth. You'll see traces of his serial kisser-image, but he manages (mostly!) to go beyond and make you forget that with his convincing young-blooded rebel act. But then, again.. We have seen him in similar roles before. A small-town chap wanting to make it big, by unlawful means! Jannat? Anyone? The 22 year-old Prachi Desai (opposite Imran) pulled off her role (whatever little) pretty smoothly for a one-film old actress. Randeep Hooda is striking as ACP Agnel Wilson. The name R Hooda sounded familiar but my failure to recall got me googling it. Sushmita Sen's ex boy-friend! Randeep's other films include Monsoon Wedding (2001) and Ram Gopal Verma's 'D' (2005). Haven't seen both of those, but in OUATIM, he's definitely good. All in all, the film has its set of clichés, in terms of dialogues for its 70s setting, but is certainly a one-time watch!