From one Robin Hood to another

Suniel says he was inspired by Kamal Haasan’s iconic Nayakan as he plays a gangster with a golden heart in his maiden web series, Dharavi Bank

Attempting something for the first time is a joyous experience. Suniel Shetty knows that as he makes his digital debut with Dharavi Bank, after a three-decade run in the movies. The MX Player crime thriller sees him as the ruthless gangster Thalaivan, who rules Dharavi with an iron fist, untouched by the cops. “When the makers narrated the script to me, I knew I was Thalaivan. I told them that if they wanted me to play the role of the cop, I wasn’t interested,” begins the senior actor.

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Kamal Haasan in Nayakan

With Samit Kakkad’s directorial venture following the life of a gangster, Shetty turned to his favourite films for inspiration. “I am a huge fan of Nayakan [1987] and Dayavan [1988]. This was a chance to deliver something along those lines. Thalaivan is a part of the underworld nexus, but at the same time, he is Robin Hood [to his people],” elaborates the actor.  

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The series, also starring Vivek Oberoi, traces Thalaivan from his early days to his 60s. Though Shetty is in the same age bracket as his on-screen character, he had to sport prosthetics to look the part. “[In real life], I look fit [and younger than my age]. So, I needed prosthetics to look older. It took me three hours to wear the prosthetics every morning before the shoot, and another hour to remove it after the shoot. I had to reach the set at 5 am for a 9 am shoot. But I automatically got into the character [after wearing them].” He received the sweetest compliment from actor-son Ahan Shetty. “He loved the promo of Dharavi Bank, and called it the baap of Narcos. He also said, ‘You are probably the only 60-year-old who has to sport prosthetics to look 63 on screen.’”

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