Bambai Meri Jaan, a 10-episode series that traces the rise of organised crime in Mumbai under the aegis of Dara (clearly modelled on Dawood Ibrahim and played by Avinash Tiwary) is now streaming on Prime Video. Boasting a stellar ensemble and a wide, ambitious canvas, the series has been created by Rensil D’Silva, directed by Shujaat Saudagar and produced by Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment. t2 chatted with Rensil, Shujaat and actor Kritika Kamra — who plays “badass” Habiba — about their show.

What made you want to tell this story?

Rensil D’Silva: I have always wanted to do a gangster story. I got a call from Kassim Jagmagia and Ritesh Sidhwani (producers) that S. Hussain Zaidi (the author of Dongri To Dubai) had given them a base storyline which they wanted me to develop. I realised that this was quite something as a story. People have done bits and pieces of it in Hindi cinema. They have done some gangsters, some era... but it’s never been a comprehensive thing where one has charted the genesis of organised crime in Mumbai.

Also, with a fictional story put in, we could make it more human. We could tell it through the lens of a father-son relationship. I thought that was the best of both worlds — an emotional story in an ambitious narrative.

Shujaat, how much did the long-form narrative aid you in telling this expansive story in the way you wanted to?

Shujaat Saudagar: OTT does provide a big canvas for writers, storytellers and actors. It’s more comprehensive compared to a film. Of course, it’s got its pros and cons in telling a narrative that spans eight-10 episodes. The story needs to lend itself to that. S. Hussain Zaidi has three decades of experience in reporting crime. He has so many bestselling books to his name, whether it’s Black Friday, Dongri To Dubai or Mafia Queens of Mumbai.

The story that he came up with for this series was an amalgamation of all his experiences which go beyond his books. Rensil’s entire writing team fleshed out the whole story. From the onset, we wanted to create a scale and canvas which gave the feel of an epic saga. It begins in the 1960s and by the time we finish the rest of the seasons, let’s see where we end up!

Kritika, what is it about your character, Habiba, that spoke to you?

Kritika Kamra: In this male-dominated world of crime and gangsters, there aren’t many powerful women characters shown on screen. But the women in Bambai Meri Jaan are very strong... we are badass! (Laughs) Such roles are rare and that’s what I found very attractive about Habiba.

Rensil and Shujaat, what does Kritika bring to her character?

Shujaat: We had a turbulent time putting together this show over a span of many years and Kritika was the last person to join the cast. She had auditioned for the part and there was something about that which made me very comfortable, whether it was her body language or the way she performed. I knew that once she got into the groove, she would be able to carry off the character.

Also, we have to understand the milieu these characters come from. This is an environment based on a social strata which is extremely poor. At that time, the heroes were not Superman or Spiderman or the members of the Marvel universe. The aspirational level was your local thug who has risen in the world of crime to drive around in a Mercedes.

To play out ambition cinematically, we need to have some kind of triggers that play out in the lifespan of a character. This is hugely driven by people who are ambitious to grow out of the environment that they are in. On paper, Kritika nailed it. A lot of the experience that she’s had came in handy.

Rensil and Shujaat, how much of Bambai Meri Jaan is Dongri To Dubai and what are the significant changes that you have brought in?

Shujaat: The expansion of an idea rests solely on the shoulders of the writers. Rensil and his team did a really great job and as the other collaborators come in — whether it’s the dialogue writers, actors, production designers or DoP (director of photography) — the world of that idea starts expanding. Its form changes in its translation from paper to screen.

The world of Bambai Meri Jaan is familiar, you will find traces of it in other films. It’s not something that happened 5,000 years ago... it’s in our recent past which still impacts our present. It can easily be referenced. But that process of building the world of Bambai Meri Jaan is credited only to Rensil and his team.

Our story is not bound by any book as it is popularly perceived and we had the liberty to play around with it. Essentially, at its core, it’s the story of a family.
Rensil: When you have a story written by someone who is an investigative journalist and you make a series based on it, one makes the leap from reportage to drama... basically, we have culled out the great scenes from the reportage.

Do you have the apprehension that the Indian audience, having been exposed to this familiar world of gangsters, may experience a sense of deja vu while watching Bambai Meri Jaan?

Rensil: It’s been 100 years of cinema and nothing is new any longer. Unless one is making something like Inception (smiles). Our task was to take these semi or quasi-familiar characters and build a fresh and new narrative. In any film you take, you will find traces of some movie or character or composite that has been done before. But that shouldn’t be a deterrent. In writing this story, we have created characters that are fresh and relevant for today’s audiences. I don’t think people will have a feeling of deja vu.

What made you decide to call it Bambai Meri Jaan?

Shujaat: We grappled with a few options for the title. We show the Bambai of the 1960s — and that’s why it’s called ‘Bambai’ — and it plays an important character. The city is the protagonist in many ways. We had a lot of discussions and Farhan (Akhtar, producer) loved the title because it encompasses everything — the good, bad, ugly. No matter how much we crib about bad roads and heat and everything else, the moment we are away from it for 10-15 days, we crave it. That’s why Bambai is meri jaan.
Rensil: When Shujaat told me about the title, I felt it’s such a romantic name for a gangster story and yet in a very strange way, it fits. It’s like Once Upon A Time in America, a name that you would rarely think of for a gangster film.

How do you explain the extensive interest in the underworld that a lot of readers and viewers share?

Kritika: The psyche of these people intrigues us because they are so different from us. Their upbringing, the values, the milieu... everything that informs their decisions and actions is so different from the world that we live in. Their sense of right and wrong, of good and bad is very different. Also, this is a genre that promises high-octane action and drama. That contributes to great legend and great stories that we all want to watch and listen.
Rensil: These kinds of stories are very primal. They appeal to our baser instincts. This is a world where the choices are always between life and death. Someone can pull out a gun and you are gone in a split second. This is a genre that gives you drama, conflicting characters, high level of action... it’s like a full thali. This genre will always garner interest.
Shujaat: It’s brought on by one’s fascination with these characters who are living on the edge. They are like rock stars, in a kind of twisted way. We like living vicariously through these characters.

Which is your favourite Holly/ Bolly film based on the underworld?
Tell t2@abp.in