Grapevine has it that Rajinikanth, who’s currently busy with 2.0, will portray the role of Tamil don, Haji Mastan, in his next film that’s directed by Pa Ranjith and bankrolled by Dhanush. Born in Cuddalore, Haji Mastan was a famous gangster in the-then Bombay and was also notorious for being a smuggler, film financier and real estate businessman. Considered a leader for the Tamil speaking crowd in the city, the growth and life of Haji Mastan has been previous hinted at by at least one previous film.
The 2010 Bollywood gangster film, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, saw Ajay Devgn play a role based on the life of Haji Mastan. Amitabh Bachchan’s character in the 1975 crime-drama, Deewaar, was also supposedly loosely based on this gangster.
What makes this all the more interesting is Haji’s close association with Varadarajan Mudaliar, who was also a gangster. Mani Ratnam’s iconic film Nayakan was based on Varadarajan’s life. Both, who were born coincidentally on March 1, 1926, are said to have once ruled Mumbai’s underworld.
However, in a late development, some sources reported yesterday that the director Pa Ranjith had refuted these rumours. A source close to Rajini fails to understand the origin of this news. “The director hasn’t revealed about the character to anyone apart from Rajini sir. It is too early for the crew to make any clarifications over these rumours.”
Source: The New Indian Express