Arjun Rampal's Daddy to be screened as closing film at Norway Film Festival

Arjun Rampal who is getting rave reviews on his latest film Daddy has another reason to cheer for. The film, based on the life and times of Mumbai’s mobster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, will be screened at the Norway Film Festival as the closing film, according to a report by Pune Mirror.

Daddy, post its release, has earned a fair share of critical acclaim across the spectrum, highlighting Rampal’s performance in his first-ever biopic and the way he aped the look of Gawli to perfection.

Rampal shared his excitement on this recent development with Mirror. He said, “I’m a happy man. Ashim and I worked really hard on every aspect of this film. Naturally, I’m ecstatic that the film is getting its due.”

The Mirror report suggests that in Gawli’s once-upon-a-time den, Mumbai and neighboring cities in Maharashtra, the film did really well . The screen count for Daddy in the state was reportedly increased by 35 screens by the exhibitors.

The film also marked Rampal’s debut as a film producer. Talking about that stint of his and whether he fared well, he spoke to DNA. “It’s got an overwhelming response in Maharashtra. I am very happy. Everyone who has seen it has really liked it. We were quite aware that the film is for the people here. And though it has a local flavour, it is also a human story, about a man. When it’s a human subject, things like religion or the state that he comes from don’t matter. We have made the film with that thought. Now, we hope it reaches out further slowly and steadily.”

He further spoke about the controlled budget of the film and how it helped in the film’s production. “We got a good deal with Amazon as well as satellite telecast. It’s important to keep in mind that when you know that you are making a film on a character, who comes from Maharashtra, the film will be doing its major business here. Almost 60 to 70 per cent of the contribution of the film has come from Maharashtra. These kind of films are not very popular in the North and Delhi. But there also, it’s not that bad. It has only shown growth,” reports DNA.

Daddy is directed by Ashim Ahluwalia and stars Arjun Rampal, Farhan Akhtar, Aishwarya Rajesh, Nishikant Kamat and Shruti Bapna. It released on 8 September this year.