Milan Luria’s Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai movie didn't just capture a period; it basically resurrected a genre that was dying a slow death in 2010. Before this film dropped, Bollywood was drowning in NRI romances and glossy, hollow action flicks. Then came Sultan Mirza. He wore white, spoke in rhythmic metaphors, and made smuggling look like a high-stakes philosophy class. It changed things.
Honestly, looking back at it now, the film feels like a lightning-in-a-bottle moment for Indian cinema. You’ve got Ajay Devgn at his most stoic, Emraan Hashmi breaking out of his "serial kisser" mold to play a volatile psychopath, and a soundtrack by Pritam that you still hear in taxis across India today. It wasn't just a gangster flick. It was a stylized, smoky, retro-cool reimagining of the 1970s Bombay underworld that blurred the lines between hero and villain so effectively that people actually started rooting for the guy breaking the law.
The Sultan Mirza Phenomenon and the Haji Mastan Connection
Let's address the elephant in the room. Everyone knows Sultan Mirza is a thinly veiled version of Haji Mastan. The movie doesn't explicitly name him, but the parallels are impossible to ignore. The white clothes, the affinity for a certain film actress (played by Kangana Ranaut, mirroring Sona), and the "Robin Hood" persona in the docks of Mumbai—it’s all there.
Ajay Devgn played Mirza with a terrifying amount of restraint. Most actors would have chewed the scenery. Instead, he just sat there, smoking a cigarette, and let his eyes do the work. The character's core philosophy—“Jab dost banakar kaam ho sakta hai, toh dushman kyun banayein?” (Why make enemies when you can get things done by making friends?)—set the stage for a different kind of crime lord. He wasn't a bully; he was a businessman with a conscience.
But then you have Shoaib Khan. Emraan Hashmi’s portrayal of Shoaib is essentially the origin story of Dawood Ibrahim, though again, the filmmakers took creative liberties to keep the lawyers happy. Shoaib is the antithesis of Mirza. Where Mirza is calm, Shoaib is chaotic. Where Mirza has boundaries, Shoaib has none. This friction is what makes the Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai movie more than just a biopic; it’s a Greek tragedy set against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea.
Why the Dialogue Became a Cultural Reset
Rajat Arora wrote the script, and frankly, the man was possessed. The dialogue isn't how people actually talk. Nobody says, "Raste ki parwah karunga toh manjil bura maan jayegi" (If I worry about the path, the destination will feel offended) in real life. If you said that at a grocery store, people would look at you like you’re crazy.
But in the world of this movie? It works perfectly.
The lines are written like shayari (poetry). They give the characters a legendary status before they even do anything. This "dialogue-baazi" was a throwback to the 1970s Salim-Javed era of Deewaar and Zanjeer. It reminded the audience that movies are supposed to be larger than life. When Shoaib tells Mirza that he wants to "rule" Mumbaai, not just manage it, you feel the shift in the city's soul. It’s the moment the old-school ethics of the underworld died and the ruthless, modern era of crime began.
The Production Design: Recreating 70s Bombay
Capturing the essence of 1970s Bombay wasn't just about putting bell-bottoms on extras. The production team had to recreate a city that doesn't exist anymore. Mumbai is now a vertical jungle of glass and steel; the Bombay of the 70s was flatter, dirtier, and somehow more romantic.
They used specific locations like the Ballard Estate and the Mumbai Port Trust to give it that authentic, salty air. The color palette is heavy on sepias, deep reds, and whites. It feels warm. It feels like a memory. Even the cinematography by Aseem Mishra uses lighting that mimics the films of that era—lots of shadows, sharp contrasts, and a graininess that makes the digital screens feel like celluloid.
The Music That Wouldn't Quit
You cannot talk about this film without mentioning the soundtrack. Pritam basically dominated the airwaves in 2010.
- "Pee Loon": Mohit Chauhan’s voice made this the national anthem for lovers for about three years straight.
- "Tum Jo Aaye": A masterclass in how to use 70s-style arrangements (the heavy strings and tabla) in a modern context.
- "Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo" (Remix): It bridged the gap between the old and the new, just like the movie itself.
The music served a narrative purpose. It grounded the romance between Mirza and Rehana, making Mirza's eventual downfall feel like a personal loss for the audience, not just a tactical defeat.
The Power Struggle: Old Guard vs. New Chaos
The central conflict of the Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai movie is actually a business lesson disguised as a thriller. Sultan Mirza represents the "Old World." In his world, there are rules. You don't sell drugs. You don't kill civilians. You keep the police in your pocket, but you respect the hierarchy.
Shoaib represents the "New World"—disruptive, ego-driven, and completely devoid of empathy. He sees Mirza's "principles" as weaknesses.
This is where the film gets deep. It suggests that the evolution of crime mirrors the evolution of society. We moved from a community-based, honor-bound system to an individualistic, "get rich or die trying" mindset. Shoaib isn't just a criminal; he's the personification of unbridled ambition. When he finally betrays Mirza, it’s not just a plot twist. It’s the end of an era. The city changes its name from Bombay to Mumbai, and the soul of the streets changes with it.
Common Misconceptions About the Film
People often mistake this for a factual documentary. It isn't. While Haji Mastan’s family actually sued the filmmakers at one point, the movie is "inspired by" real events, not a transcript of them. For instance, the real Mastan never really had a violent fallout with a protégé in the exact way Shoaib and Mirza do in the film’s climax.
Another misconception is that it’s a sequel to other Mumbaai-based gangster films. It's a standalone piece, though its success paved the way for a sequel (Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!), which—let’s be honest—didn't quite capture the same magic. The original worked because it was a character study. The sequel felt like a caricature.
Critical Reception and Legacy
When it first hit theaters, critics were a bit divided. Some thought the glorification of criminals was a bit much. Others found the stylized dialogue too "filmy." But the box office told a different story. It was a massive hit.
The movie’s legacy is visible in how "retro" gangster films are made now. Before 2010, crime movies were either gritty and realistic (like Satya) or slapstick. Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai movie created a third path: the "Glossy Noir." It proved that you could have a high-budget, stylish film that still had a gritty soul.
It also solidified Ajay Devgn’s status as the go-to actor for "intense, quiet men." If you look at his career trajectory after this, characters like Bajirao Singham carry a bit of that Sultan Mirza DNA—the unwavering gaze and the authority that comes from silence rather than shouting.
How to Experience the Story Today
If you’re planning on revisiting this classic or watching it for the first time, keep an eye on the subtle details. Watch the way the cigarette smoke moves in Mirza’s office. Listen to the background score during the scene where Shoaib is first introduced as a kid.
To get the most out of the experience, here is how you should dive back in:
- Watch the 1970s classics first: If you haven't seen Deewaar or Don (the original), do that. It makes the tributes in this film much more rewarding.
- Focus on Randeep Hooda: His performance as ACP Agnel Wilson is often overlooked. He is the narrator, the bridge between the law and the lawless. His moral ambiguity is the "real" heart of the story.
- Check out the "making of" clips: Seeing how they built the sets and chose the costumes reveals just how much work went into the "vibe" of the film.
- Listen to the lyrics: Irshad Kamil didn't just write songs; he wrote character arcs into the verses.
The film is currently available on most major streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime (depending on your region). It’s the kind of movie that rewards a second or third viewing because the foreshadowing is everywhere. You know Mirza is doomed from the start, but watching the inevitable collision is still exhilarating.
In a world of superhero movies and CGI-heavy action, there’s something refreshing about a film that relies on two men sitting across a table, trading insults that sound like poetry. It’s a reminder that at the end of the day, Mumbaai is a city built on stories, and this is one of the best ones ever told on celluloid.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
- Research the real-life history of the Mumbai Docks in the 1970s to see where the Sultan Mirza character drew his influence.
- Compare the film's portrayal of the "underworld" with the more realistic depictions found in S. Hussain Zaidi's book Dongri to Dubai.
- Explore Milan Luthria's other works, such as The Dirty Picture, to understand his specific style of "period-piece" storytelling.