Hashmi studied clips of Robert De Niro in The Untouchables and real footage of Dawood Ibrahim. He added a unique tic: Shoaib constantly smooths his hair back, as if physically pushing away any sentimentality. The result? By the climax, you forget you’re watching the guy from Murder —you’re just terrified of Shoaib.
In 2010, Ajay Devgn was already a veteran, known for his intense eyes and stoic screen presence. However, the role of Sultan Mirza—a character loosely based on the smuggler Haji Mastan—required something more than just brooding intensity. It required charisma. once upon a time in mumbai actors
In one of the film’s most iconic scenes, Sultan slaps Shoaib in front of a crowd. The look of humiliation and rage in Hashmi’s eyes, contrasted with Devgn’s calm authority, is what makes the film work. It isn't a fight over territory; it's a fight over ideology and ego. The casting directors deserve immense credit for spotting this potential energy. Had the roles been swapped, or had different actors been cast, the film would have lost its tension. Hashmi studied clips of Robert De Niro in
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai works not because of its shootouts or its retro soundtrack, but because of a perfect storm of casting: the stoic veteran (Devgn), the hungry outsider (Hashmi), the rebellious woman (Ranaut), and the honest mirror (Hooda). They weren’t just playing gangsters. They were playing versions of themselves, dressed in bell-bottoms and betrayal. By the climax, you forget you’re watching the
