Director Ali Abbas Zafar, along with cinematographer Aliaza Mohammad, went to great lengths to recreate the gritty, smoky aesthetic of 1970s and 80s Calcutta. The film heavily features the iconic Howrah Bridge, bustling ghats, and vintage steam locomotives. The visual palette is rich with earthy tones, punctuated by the bright red hues of the Durga Puja festival—a sequence that serves as the setting for one of the film’s most dramatic action set-pieces.
They start their journey by stealing coal from moving trains, a small-time hustle that eventually blossoms into a massive illegal coal mining and distribution empire. As adults, Bikram (played by Ranveer Singh) and Bala (played by Arjun Kapoor) become the most powerful, feared, and respected mafiosos in Calcutta. Despite their criminal enterprises, they operate as modern-day Robin Hoods, sharing their wealth with the local community and earning the fierce loyalty of the public.
The late Irrfan Khan brought his trademark nuance and gravitas to the role of the lawman. In a genre where police officers are often reduced to shouting caricatures, Khan’s performance was quiet, calculating, and deeply impactful. Serving as the narrator of the film, his character anchors the stylized reality of Gunday to something tangible, making the cat-and-mouse game between the law and the outlaws genuinely engaging. Aesthetics, Music, and the Recreation of 1970s Calcutta Gunday Movie Bollywood
Characters and Performances
This depiction sparked outrage in Bangladesh. A social media campaign led by the group "Gonojagoron Moncho" encouraged people to protest the film by giving it the lowest possible rating on IMDb. As a result, Gunday was flooded with 1-star reviews, causing its rating to plummet to an unusually low score. The backlash forced the producers, Yash Raj Films, to issue a statement expressing regret for any "inadvertent" offense caused and clarifying that the film was a work of fiction. The controversy overshadowed the film's release for a significant portion of its target audience online. Even in Pakistan, the film was ordered to have two scenes removed, one focusing on the 1971 war and another a dance number, before it could be screened. Director Ali Abbas Zafar, along with cinematographer Aliaza
If you want to explore more about this film, let me know if you would like me to analyze , break down Irrfan Khan's best scenes , or provide a list of similar retro-style Bollywood action movies . Share public link
is a classic example of a Bollywood "masala" film. This means it mixes action, romance, comedy, and drama all into one big story. While some critics thought the story was predictable, fans loved the chemistry between Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor. Their real-life friendship made their on-screen brotherhood feel real and exciting. They start their journey by stealing coal from
A high-energy dance track that dominated charts.
It was one of the first major Bollywood films to shoot extensively in actual open-cast coal mines [1]. Final Verdict: Is It Worth a Rewatch?