Real-life gangster movies on OTT: O'Romeo, starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in lead roles, is now running in theatres. The story revolves around a ruthless gangster whose life is turned upside down by a forbidden, unrequited love, triggering a violent gang war that shakes the underworld to its core. The movie is adapted from S. Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai and chronicles the real-life alliance between Hussain Ustara and Sapna Didi. If you are interested in real-life gangster dramas, here is a list of top Bollywood movies that you can watch on OTT:
Real-life gangster movies on OTT
Gangs Of Wasseypur (Prime Video)
Gangs of Wasseypur is a 2012 Hindi-language epic crime drama directed by Anurag Kashyap and co-written by Zeishan Quadri. Serving as the first part of a two-film saga, it traces the brutal power struggles, politics, and vendettas among three crime families in Dhanbad’s coal mafia from 1941 to the mid-1990s. The film features a stellar ensemble cast, including Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Huma Qureshi, Piyush Mishra and Tigmanshu Dhulia.
Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (Prime Video)
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai is a 2010 Hindi-language neo-noir crime thriller directed by Milan Luthria and written by Rajat Arora. Produced by Ekta Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures, the film stars Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, Prachi Desai and Randeep Hooda. Loosely inspired by the lives of Mumbai underworld figures Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim, the film released on 30 July 2010 to positive reviews and strong box-office success. Made on a budget of Rs 38 crore, it was followed by a sequel, Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaara! in 2013.
Rakta Charitra (Netflix)
Rakta Charitra is a 2010 Indian political action thriller inspired by the life of Paritala Ravindra. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Prashant Pandey, the film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi (titled Rakht Charitra). It features an ensemble cast led by Vivek Oberoi, Suriya, Sudeep and Radhika Apte, and marked Oberoi’s Telugu cinema debut. The sequel, Rakta Charitra 2, released later the same year, while the Tamil version, Raththa Sarithiram, hit screens in March 2011.
Gangubai Kathiawadi (Netflix)
Gangubai Kathiawadi is a 2022 Hindi-language biographical crime drama directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada. Adapted from Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi, the film traces the powerful rise of Gangubai Kathiawadi from a young girl forced into prostitution to a dominant figure in Mumbai’s red-light district. The film stars Alia Bhatt in the lead, alongside Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Jim and Ajay Devgn.
Haseena Parkar (Zee5)
Haseena Parkar is a 2017 Hindi-language biographical crime drama directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Nahid Khan. Based on the life of Haseena Parkar, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, the film stars Shraddha Kapoor in the lead, with Siddhanth Kapoor, Ankur Bhatia, Priyanka Setia and Rajesh Tailang in supporting roles. Released on 22 September 2017, the film received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office.