How Haseena Parkar's family helped Siddhanth Kapoor to play Dawood Ibrahim

Siddhanth Kapoor

Shakti Kapoor's son, Siddhanth, essays the role of Dawood Ibrahim in Apoorva Lakhia's Haseena Parkar. His sister, Shraddha Kapoor, plays his on-screen sibling in the movie. Siddhanth says playing the crime lord was challenging.

"To understand his psyche was difficult. The transformation was both emotional and physical. I had to eat, walk, look and think like him. I read Dongri To Dubai and even met Hussain Zaidi [author of the book on Ibrahim]. He offered me an insight into Dawood's life."

Dawood Ibrahim

The actor's look was referenced from the gangster's old pictures and Parkar's family shared details about his younger days.

"They gave us valuable insights. He was a street-smart guy, who knew how to get his dirty work done by others," says Kapoor. But this film takes the focus slightly off the most notorious don and trains spotlight on his sister and the relationship they shared.

Still from the film

"Not many knew what he was like as a youngster. We have taken a few cinematic liberties, but Apoorva spent ample time with Haseena's family to ensure we got everything right. Taking a cue from old photo albums, they helped us recreate similar outfits. Although I met the family, I couldn't gather the courage to speak to them about the blasts," he says