Arun Gawli is an endearing man with a very dark side to his personality: Arjun Rampal

Mumbai: Arjun Rampal has taken on the mantle of playing the real life don, Arun Gawli, in the upcoming biopic ‘Daddy’. After starring in Sujoy Ghosh's hard-hitting film ‘Kahaani 2’ last year, Arjun has once again opted for a narrative that hinges on realism.

Ask him if he is drawn to these roles and the actor says, "I prefer realism unless it's a fantasy film where one has to create one's own reality. In case of ‘Kahaani 2’, Sujoy was keen that I played the role with a certain air of nonchalance."

Talking about the real life daddy, Rampal said, "What's intriguing about playing Arun Gawli is the duality in his personality. He was not referred to as bhai, don or ustaad. Instead, he was referred to as Daddy—which reflects endearment. When I met the people who worked with him, they had a lot of love and respect for him. And when I met Arun Gawli, I realised what makes him an endearing man. He is gentle, polite and well-mannered. But, obviously there is something very dark in his personality too. I wanted to play the role as close to reality and then take it to the audience to judge if he is a Daddy or a gangster."

Directed by Ashim Ahluwalia, the film is set to release on September 8.