But all you get is a silly costume drama that inadvertently victimises and thus justifies Haseena's unlawful actions and warped sense of power under the pretext of 'protecting her family'. You walk into the film, hoping to understand the controversial journey of a woman, who became the aapa (elder sister) or the Godmother of Nagpada. The judge examining Haseena Parkar's case, comes across as a nincompoop. Siddhant Kapoor (badly dubbed) as Dawood, roams around aimlessly in Dubai, goes on candlelight dinners with random girls and chills in his bathtub as Mumbai burns (1993). The treatment, jarring background score and setting, is equally sloppy as Dongri, Nagpada, Dubai, Mulund, Bhandup.all look the same. But let us clarify, Shraddha is not the weakest link here. The actress is 'lucky' to be getting biopics (she will essay the role of badminton ace Saina Nehwal next), given her limited acting skills.
However, given Apoorva Lakhia's poor direction and penchant for making films on Mumbai's underworld dons that ride on sensation over substance, all you get is a tanned Shraddha Kapoor who looks like she's holding two kachoris in her mouth.
As the film shuttles between past and present, it passionately lists down the gang wars and events that led to Dawood's rise as a crime lord-terrorist and its repercussions on his family, including his sister Haseena, who was summoned to the Court only once (2007), despite the many offences registered against her.
This courtroom drama tries to decode the life and criminal activities of India's most wanted fugitive - Dawood Ibrahim's late sister Haseena Parkar, who allegedly headed her brother's crime syndicate in Mumbai and ran proxy business for him.