Gangster films have been made several times in bollywood, indirectly based on several real gangsters, be it DAYAVAN, AGNEEPATH or VAASTAV, SATYA, COMPANYONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAI is a gangster film plus a tribute to 70's bollywood which is entertaining plus dark and also grittyThe film starts off with a flashback by Randeep Hooda introducing Ajay and Emraan Hashmi The film is supposedly based on Haji and Dawood something I wont comment upon The film is well handled and has several well handled moments some over the top, filmy but there all work well in the context of the filmThe rift between Ajay-Emraan does come a bit late but it's well handled and till the end the film is well handled though there are some snags like the end is a bit incomplete, perhaps a sequel is forthcoming henceDirection by Milan Luthria is fab, after the refreshing TAXI No.9211 and the disaster HATRICK He redeems himself with a well handled fare He has worked on the style, appearance too which deserves kudos Music by Pritam is a winner, TUM JO AAYE, PEE LOON are the best while PARDA is good too though not half as good as the originals(DUNIYA MEIN and MONICA) BABURAO MAST seems forcedAjay Devgan after several disaster scripts comes back with a bang. There is something about Ajay and Gangster roles, he adds something extra and seems a natural His role is similar to the role in COMPANY but here too he does a great job, in the light, romantic and also in the intense scenes Kangana for once not her usual suicidal self does a good job in a smaller role Emraan does a great job as suits the role too His chemistry with Ajay is fab Prachi looks good and is a natural but her role is not too well developed Randeep Hooda's voice resembles Ajay and he does a good job in a small role Avtar Gill and rest lend support

There are numerous films on the present-day Mumbai underworld, but it is fascinating to see how it all started in the newly independent country.The too-big-to handle metropolis, once freed from the chains of the British reign, also lost a strict and strongly exercised system of law enforcement. It is interesting to see how the new, immature government is unable to retain control and power goes to "Sultan" Mirza. It is equally shocking to witness how Hashmi's unquenchable thirst for power and victory leads him to usurp Mirza's position, and increases Mumbai's filth. The police inspector points out the riveting truth that all along he thought he was in a battle of good vs. evil, where the evil is Mirza and his group, and the good is the former innocence the city possessed. However, it ended up being much more complex where the fight was between evil vs. more evil (Mirza vs. Hashmi).The inspector's recollection of "the death of Mumbai" is both eye-opening and tragic. Terrific plot and great performances.

After a long time, a movie that manages to entertain throughout its 2 hour+ running time has released in theaters. I went to see this movie in theaters just for the sake of it, but surprisingly, it turned out to be a pleasant and worthwhile experience. The story, screenplay, dialogues, direction, acting, music, etc. were all top notch. Let's start with the performances of the main leads (in order from best to least): 1. Ajay Devgn- Is there any role this man cannot play? His dialogue delivery, costumes, and screen presence were impeccable. He carried the movie brilliantly with his intensity and his ability to show a range of emotions. His performance makes the trip to the theater worth it. 2. Randeep Hooda- Before this movie, I had no idea who he was. I was surprised that he could make his presence felt when he was next to a seasoned, intense performer like Ajay. He delivered his dialogues well and carried himself well throughout the movie. 3. Emraan Hashmi- The serial kisser of the industry surprised me with his performance. He acted very well and was able to make his presence felt. He also showed a great range of emotions.4. Kangana Ranaut- It is a known fact that she has ability to act, but she also looked beautiful. Her chemistry with Ajay was also great. She played her role effectively, although I don't think that this is her BEST performance to date, but certainly one of them. 5. Prachi Desai- She plays her innocent, doting character very well. This is only her third film, yet she can make her presence felt. Out of her 3 films (Rock On, Life Partner, and OUATIM) this was my favorite. Now let's move on to the music by Pritam. All of the songs are great, but "Tum Jo Aaye" is the best for me and is easily one of the best tracks of the year, as well as one of Pritam's best. The soundtrack is one of the best works of Pritam's.The next element is the direction by Milan Luthria. He incorporates Mumbai during the 70s very effectively. This can easily be said to be his finest work to date.People criticize this movie for being "predictable" but where did they get the idea that this movie is of the thriller or mystery genre? It is meant to entertain, which it does very effectively and is one of Bollywood's best crime/mafia movies. Also the violence was not gratuitous, as the fight scenes showed the true violent, psychotic, and dark nature of Shoaib (Emraan's character). So if this is not worth the price of the ticket, then what is?

I went to see this movie with moderate expectations , after reading the IMDb review , and seeing the 7.4 score . TO confess one thing , this is the first Hindi movie i have seen in the last five years , mostly i have been seeing English movies .Having said that , either i have grown up enough to realize when a person is overacting , or i have simply gotten used to storyline and character building as part of the core of a movie . This movie sucked big time from every direction . I mean at one point me and my girl- friend didn't know whether to laugh at the movie's ridiculous dialogs and overacting , or hit ourselves for buying the ticket . Ajay Devgan looked too old . Kangna Renaut was "NOT" sexy ( how did this director manage this BTW ? ) Emraan Hashmi was ridiculous in his performance .The only good thing , the KID who played young Shoaib was nice in the tiny role he appeared in .All in all , please stay away .