Spy thriller "D-Day", which opened in Indian cinemas on Friday, is one of three new Hindi films that appear to draw inspiration from the lives of Mumbai's notorious gangsters.
Directed by Nikhil Advani, "D-Day" tells the story of Indian intelligence agents trying to capture "India's
most wanted man" from Pakistan, known in the film
as "Iqbal" or "Goldman.
The character, played by veteran star Rishi Kapoor, bears a striking resemblance to former Mumbai mafia don Dawood Ibrahim, one of India's real-life most-wanted men.
Like the film's antihero, Ibrahim is known for donning a thick moustache and sunglasses, is thought to be in Pakistan and is the alleged mastermind behind the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai, which killed 257 people.
"We have used real life events as triggers to create a public enemy and tell a story with fictionalised situations, without going into the main character's back story," the director told AFP.
When asked about the likenesses to Ibrahim, he said "a hint is enough for the intelligent".
Any real-life basis to gangster films is rarely openly stated by filmmakers to avoid any legal or personal backlash.
The upcoming thriller "Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Dobara (Again)" looks at a love triangle involving a gangster called Shoaib Khan, who is also widely thought to be inspired by Ibrahim.
"The characters are based on research and references. But unlike real world dons, our cinematic dons sing on rooftops and are flamboyant. Ours is a work of fiction," said the film's director Milan Luthria.
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