Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai
2010 · Directed by Milan Luthria
Original language: Hindi
- drama
- thriller
- crime
The story
A tale of two gangsters from the eras of past and present, whose lives enter parallel paths as they struggle to survive within Bombay's criminal underworld.
What it’s like
Warm, sepia-tinted nostalgia gives way to sweaty neon and steel-grey concrete in this Mumbai crime drama, a film that feels like a loud, flamboyant period piece with a hard modern edge. Its 1970s strand glows in amber lamplight, rain-soaked chawls, and gaudy costume colour, while the present-day scenes lean on cold fluorescents, dim bars, and restless handheld movement through crowded streets. Songs punctuate the action with brassy horns, dholak rhythms, and sudden bursts of Bollywood spectacle, so the soundtrack shifts from swaggering to menacing within a single scene. Pacing is brisk and melodramatic, with stylised dialogue scenes, rivalries that flare and cool, and a steady build of tension toward confrontation. Violence is frequent and firearm-driven, with sharp, sudden shootings and some bloodied aftermath, but gore stays restrained. Its emotional core is ambition, loyalty, and a crime boss's pull toward a glamorous past, suiting viewers who want a big, operatic Mumbai underworld saga with mythic swagger and a comfortable sense of style.
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