MUMBAI: A movie about the life of a notorious Mumbai mafia don comes out in Indian cinemas this week as Bollywood steps up its long-held fascination with the financial capital’s criminal underworld.
“Daddy,” a biopic on gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, hits screens Friday before the release later this month of a film about the infamous sister of Dawood Ibrahim, India’s most wanted man.
Shooting for a third gangster movie, starring Bollywood superstars Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan, will start next year.
For “Daddy” director Ashim Ahluwalia, making a film about a former mafia boss currently serving life in prison for the murder of a local councillor was a little intimidating.
“It is, but Gawli is an older man now, past his prime and we have made the film with his family’s consent. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise,” he told AFP.
“I think he feels he has done his time and that his family has suffered enough. We had to have the Gawli family’s trust. And we assured them that we would not misrepresent.
“However there are others in the film whose consent we did not have and we have thinly disguised some of them, such as a few of the politicians.
“Getting threats is an inevitable part of working on a subject like this,” he added.
Forty-four-year-old Actor Arjun Rampal plays Gawli in “Daddy.”
The film, which takes its title from Gawli’s nickname, charts his life through the 1980s and ‘90s from mill worker to gangster, to kingpin of Mumbai’s Dagdi Chawl-based gang to state politician.
His gang was engaged in a brutal war with Ibrahim’s notorious D-Company for many years.
Gawli faced numerous criminal charges but none stuck until he was found guilty in August 2012 of involvement in the murder of local Shiv Sena party politician Kamlakar Jamsandekar four years earlier.
The 62-year-old is in jail in Nagpur, central India.
“We met him several times and one of the first things I noticed about him is how he doesn’t speak much. He’s rather opaque,” said Ahluwalia.
“(But he) did suggest iterations on the script which were made in consultation with his lawyers because several cases are still pending in the courts.”
The filmmakers say they made a concerted effort not to glorify Gawli.
“We are not trying to promote this lifestyle or this world. We have tried to make a movie that is authentic and entertaining,” Rampal told AFP.
Ahluwalia said the film tells Gawli’s story from several points of view, including from his wife, a rival gang member, and the police.
“This allows the audience to pick which version they want to accept,” he explained.
The movie continues a lengthy fascination that Bollywood has had with Mumbai’s underworld.
In the 1970s veteran superstar Amitabh Bachchan made his name playing a number of angry young men involved in nefarious activities such as “Deewar” (The Wall) and “Don.”
“Satya,” “Company,” “D-Day” and most recently Shah Rukh Khan’s “Raees” built on the gangster genre.
On September 22, “Haseena,” directed by Apoorva Lakhia and about the life of Ibrahim’s sister Haseena Parkar, releases in India.
Actress Shraddha Kapoor plays the central character who became known as the “Queen of Mumbai” for her role in running Ibrahim’s operations after he fled India following the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts.
Connections between Bollywood and gangsters ran deep in the ‘80s and ‘90s when the film industry depended on the criminal underworld for funding.
Before he left India Ibrahim was often photographed with various Bollywood stars at social events, underlining the closeness between the extortions and violence depicted on screen and those carried out in real life.
Lakhia told AFP he made “Haseena” because he wanted to explore why people become criminals. For Ahluwalia gangster movies’ enduring appeal is their escapism.
“These characters act out things that normal everyday people don’t or can’t do. I think that anarchy and being outside the law is a kind of wish fulfilment for some viewers,” he said.
Bollywood turns spotlight on India’s real-life mafia dons
Bollywood turns spotlight on India’s real-life mafia dons
The Saudi artist giving traditional crafts a new voice
- Fatimah Al-Nemer honors generational knowledge through collaborations with Saudi craftswomen
RIYADH: What if traditional crafts were not relics of the past but blueprints for the future? Saudi artist Fatimah Al-Nemer, whose work is on show at Riyadh’s Naila Art Gallery, transforms ancestral materials into contemporary narratives, blending palm fronds, clay, and wool with concept and meaning.
For Al-Nemer, heritage is not something to simply preserve behind glass. It is something to touch, reshape and retell. And traditional crafts are far more than manual skills; they are living archives.
“In the Arabian Peninsula, people adapted to their environment by turning clay, palm fronds, and wool into tools for survival and then into objects of timeless beauty,” she told Arab News.
These crafts, shaped over generations, carry stories that Al-Nemer reinterprets through contemporary art.
Her project, Al-Kar, exemplifies this approach. Named after the traditional climbing tool used by date harvesters, the piece was created in collaboration with Saudi craftswomen.
Al-Nemer transformed humble palm fibers into a three-meter-long rug, elevating simple material into a conceptual installation.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Through her work, Fatimah Al-Nemer dissolves the boundaries between craft and art, heritage and modernity.
• Those curious about the artist’s work can view some of her pieces at solo exhibition ‘Memory of Clay,’ held at Naila Art Gallery until May 30.
“This is not merely an aesthetic celebration,” she said. “It’s a rewriting of our communal identity. Our heritage is rich — not only in materials, but in stories.”
Her work goes beyond decorative craft; she treats traditional practices as conceptual frameworks, weaving narratives through textiles, clay and palm fiber.
Her collaborations with artisans ensure that generational knowledge is embedded in each piece. “The material is never separate from the experience,” she added. “It becomes witness — marked by the presence of women, place and memory.”
Participation in international exhibitions has expanded Al-Nemer’s artistic outlook, allowing her to view local materials like clay and textiles as globally resonant.
This is not merely an aesthetic celebration. It’s a rewriting of our communal identity. Our heritage is rich — not only in materials, but in stories.
Fatimah Al-Nemer, Saudi artist
“The global art scene recontextualizes challenges like the marginalization of craft, and transforms them into dialogues about identity and memory,” she said.
For Al-Nemer, craftswomen are not merely implementers, but collaborators. “They carry manual intelligence honed across generations,” she added, commending institutions like Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission and Herfa Association that are now empowering artisans in alignment with the Kingdom’s cultural transformation.
“Craft is no longer confined to the past — it is a living contemporary practice with global relevance,” she said.
Those curious about the artist’s work can view some of her items at solo exhibition “Memory of Clay,” held at Naila Art Gallery until May 30.
The exhibition offers a contemplative journey into themes of memory, belonging and identity transformation, using clay as a visual and cultural symbol.
Featuring 12 works created through mixed media and a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques, Al-Nemer reimagines ancient Saudi crafts through a modernist lens, presenting clay not simply as raw material, but as a timekeeper and silent witness to human evolution.
“Clay is not just a medium,” she said. “It is a mirror of our collective memory, shaped as we are shaped, cracking to reveal hidden layers of nostalgia and wisdom.”
This philosophy materializes in the tactile depth, earthy hues and intricate details that define her works — each piece echoing the raw pulse of life.
To young Saudi women hoping to innovate through craft, Al-Nemer offers this message: “Believe in the value of what you hold. The world doesn’t just want the product — it wants the story behind it.”
With expanding institutional support and evolving creative spaces, the artist sees an opportunity: “Craft can thrive as both art and enterprise as long as authenticity remains at its core.”
Through her work, Al-Nemer dissolves the boundaries between craft and art, heritage and modernity.
Every thread and every texture becomes a testament to identity — crafted by hand, read by the eye and understood by the heart.
Guns N’ Roses wow Riyadh as part of 2025 global tour
- Iconic band make major stop on Middle East leg of schedule
RIYADH: Iconic American rock band Guns N’ Roses performed in Riyadh on Friday as part of their 2025 global tour, marking a major stop on the band’s Middle East schedule.
The group, which was formed in Los Angeles in 1985, took the stage to a packed crowd, kicking off the night with “Welcome to the Jungle.”
The high-energy set featured classic hits including “November Rain,” “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” with fans singing along throughout.
The concert was organized by MDLBEAST and, ahead of the event, Rayan Al-Rasheed, its director of operations and artist booking, highlighted the significance of hosting such acts in the Kingdom.
He said: “Saudi Arabia has become a key destination for global music acts. By hosting legendary artists like Guns N’ Roses we aim to elevate the Kingdom’s presence in the global music scene.”
The introduction of rock music to the Saudi musical landscape acknowledged a genre that had long had a strong presence in the country, he said, adding: “The popularity of bands like Metallica and Linkin Park shows that rock has deep roots here.”
Kim Kardashian’s robbers found guilty in Paris
- Algerian-born Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, the ringleader, got the stiffest sentence, eight years imprisonment but five of those were suspended
PARIS: A Paris court this week found the ringleader and seven other people guilty in the 2016 armed robbery of Kim Kardashian, but did not impose any additional time behind bars for their roles in what the US celebrity described as “the most terrifying experience of my life."
The chief judge, David De Pas, said that the defendants' ages — six are in their 60s and 70s — and their health issues weighed on the court’s decision to impose sentences that he said “aren’t very severe.”
He said that the nine years between the robbery and the trial — long even by the standards of France’s famously deliberate legal system — were also taken into account in not imposing harsher sentences. The court acquitted two of the 10 defendants.
Algerian-born Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, the ringleader, got the stiffest sentence, eight years imprisonment but five of those were suspended.
Three others got seven years, five of them suspended. Three more got prison sentences ranging from five to three years, mostly or completely suspended, and an eighth person was found guilty on a weapons charge and fined.
With time already served in pretrial detention, none of those found guilty will go to prison and all walked out free. The trial was heard by a three-judge panel and six jurors.
Still, the chief judge said that Kardashian had been traumatized by the Oct. 2, 2016, jewel heist in her hotel during Fashion Week.
“You caused harm,” the judge said. “You caused fear.”
Kardashian, who wasn't present for the verdict, said in a statement issued afterward that she was “deeply grateful to the French authorities for pursuing justice in this case.”
“The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family. While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all. I remain committed to advocating for justice, and promoting a fair legal system," said the celebrity who is working to become a lawyer.
Kneecap say Glastonbury slot at risk after terrorism charge
- Group member scheduled to appear in court on June 18
DUBAI: The Irish rap group Kneecap said this week that efforts are ongoing to block their appearance at Glastonbury this summer, following a surprise show held just one day after one of their members was charged with a terrorism-related offence.
During their performance at London’s 100 Club on Thursday night, the trio said they were being made a “scapegoat” because they “spoke about the genocide (in Gaza)” at Coachella in April.
Group member Liam Og O Hannaidh was charged on Wednesday with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in London in November 2024. The rapper performs under the stage name Mo Chara and he is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on June 18.
The police force’s counter-terrorism command was made aware on April 22 of an online video from the event and then carried out an investigation. After that, the Crown Prosecution Service authorized the charge.
The group posted on social media and said in a statement: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction.”
They added: “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.
“This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story, genocide is.”
Hours after the charge was filed, Kneecap announced a last-minute gig that reportedly sold out in 90 seconds, with 2,000 people on the waiting list.
Chara took to the stage at 9 p.m. with tape over his mouth in a symbolic protest. He suggested the timing of the charge was deliberate, saying it came just ahead of their scheduled Glastonbury appearance.
He said: “There’s a reason why what’s happened to me happened before Glastonbury. There’s a reason they’re trying to … stop me speaking at Glastonbury in front of the UK.”
Review: ‘Lilo and Stitch’ returns with heart, hula and a whole lot of charm
- Homage to 2002 classic while vibrantly fresh
- Maia Kealoha, 8, playing Lilo steals the show
DUBAI: The new “Lilo & Stitch” reboot honors the 2002 classic while giving it a vibrant look and feel for a new generation.
With stunning animation, amazing casting, and a deep sense of nostalgia, the film strikes an emotional chord from the opening frame.
With the original film being one of the most beloved Disney classics, there was a lot of pressure riding on this remake, especially considering the inconsistency in the latest Disney productions.
Visually, the animation is outstandingly expressive.
The Hawaiian landscapes practically glow and the redesigns of Stitch and his alien companions retain their mischievous charm, even with the updated disguises for Jumba Pleakley.
Although many were not happy with these changes, I personally loved the scene of them learning how to walk as humans.
The emotional core of the film, however, remains unchanged: the powerful bond between sisters Lilo and Nani.
Their dynamic is portrayed with warmth and honesty, balancing cheeky sibling rivalry moments with sincere, tender ones.
The comedic timing is spot-on throughout the movie but is not overdone to the point where it becomes cringey.
Casting is another major win.
The new ensemble delivers energy and heart, with the debuting young actress, Maia Kealoha, 8, playing Lilo stealing the show. She captures Lilo’s quirky spirit, fiery independence and emotional depth perfectly.
While longtime fans may note a few subtle updates to the characters and plot, the film stays true to its core message of family, belonging, and unconditional love.
The film really tugs at the heart strings and may even leave one teary-eyed at some points.
Reintroducing the beloved story to a new generation, “Lilo and Stitch” is a must-watch this summer.
