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A little-known fact about underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is that he had a brother named Sabir, who was gunned down in 1983. An even lesser-known fact is that Dawood has a brother living in Mumbai, whom filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has apparently been brainstorming with, to get a hang of the Dawood's character for his 'encounter' film, Shootout At Wadala.
Vivek Oberoi will play Dawood while Manoj Bajpayee will play his brother Sabir.
"I haven't heard the script yet. Sanjay will be narrating it to me shortly. But from what he has told me of the role, I see no reason why I shouldn't do it. It is fascinating to etch out the character of Dawood's brother. Little is known about him. But he was a very strong influence on Dawood," Bajpayee said.
The actor says there is little scope for him to say no to Gupta's offer. "We share a baby bonding. I've a little daughter. Sanjay has a baby boy. So we belong to the exclusive Anxious Fathers' Club. Also, my wife Shabana is very close to Sanjay and his wife. So I've no option but to say yes to Sanjay."
Bajpayee's next film Gangs Of Wasseypur about the coal mafia in Dhanbad (Jharkhand) has turned out to be a two-part marathon, each two hours and 40 minutes in length.
"You won't feel the weight of the duration. The narration is that slick. Working in this film I felt I had gone back to acting school. It's a new beginning for me," says Manoj excitedly.