Rakesh Bedi broke silence on the comparison between his Dhurandhar: The Revenge character, 'Jameel Jamali' and Pakistani politician, Nabil Gabol.
Dhurandhar 2 (also known as Dhurandhar: The Revenge) has fans frenzied with its well-crafted plot, unexpected twists, and suitable background scores, topped off by stellar performances from its cast. The second part of the Aditya Dhar directorial has been dominating headlines since its theatrical release on March 18, 2026. Each character of the film has been given a specific purpose by the writer, with some being loosely based on real-life people. One of the most talked-about characters currently is Rakesh Bedi's 'Jameel Jamali,' which was considered to be inspired by Pakistani politician, Nabil Gabol. Recently, Rakesh himself commented on the specualtions.
In the movie franchise, Dhurandhar, Rakesh Bedi portrays 'Jameel Jamali', a cunning Pakistani politician from Karachi's Lyari. The character has sparked intense debate due to its striking resemblance to real-life Pakistani politician, Nabil Gabol. While Nabil Gabol initially embraced the comparison after the first film, he has criticised the portrayal in the sequel, Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge. Following that, Rakesh Bedi himself revealed if the character was indeed based on the Pakistani political figure. Rakesh strongly refuted any connection of his essayed character with Nabol Gabol.
Rakesh was initially unable to fathom why Nabil went around saying that the 'Jameel Jamali' was inspired by his life in interviews. However, he then stated that the reason might be a strong physical resemblance between the fictional character and the real-life politician. According to the actor, certain aspects, such as 'Jameel's' wig, styling, and overall look, seemed similar to Nabil. Rakesh further mentioned that it was not his fault that his appearance was quite similar to Nabil's. Talking to India.com, he said:
"I didn't portray him [Nabeel Gabol] at all. Why he is identifying with the character is beyond me. I just took on a specific appearance for the part. What can I actually do if someone thinks my appearance is similar to his? I'm not to blame. Maybe because of the wig and styling, he might feel there is a slight resemblance."
'Jameel Jamali', portrayed by veteran actor, Rakesh Bedi, was presented as a shrewd, scheming and selfish Pakistani politician from Lyari, Karachi, in part 1 of Dhurandhar. However, in the second instalment, one of the last scenes featuring 'Jameel' and the protagonist, 'Hamza Ali Mazhari'/ 'Jaskirat Singh Rangi', portrayed the former in an entirely different light. The scene includes 'Jaskirat' completing his mission in Pakistan and being entrusted to another Indian spy to drive him safely to the Indo-Pakistan border, where a plane would be waiting to take him to his homeland. To everyone's surprise, the fellow spy is revealed to be 'Jameel Jamali'.
'Jameel' was revealed that he was placed in Karachi decades ago to operate deep within the Pakistani political machinery. This part of the plot was entirely fictional and not based on its real-life inspiration, i.e., Nabil Gabol. The politician reacted strongly and negatively to the last scene of 'Jameel', alleging that the filmmakers tarnished his image by spreading misinformation. According to greatandhra.com, the Pakistani politician expressed worries that illiterate or misinformed viewers in Pakistan, who might watch the film through VPNs or illegal downloads, could mistake the fictional portrayal for reality and see him as an Indian spy, potentially putting him at risk. Nabil stated:
"It's not me. Don't believe whatever is depicted in the film. It's a crooked attempt by Indian filmmakers to deliberately distort and malign my character. But that's not me."
What are your thoughts on Rakesh Bedi's clarification regarding the portrayal of 'Jameel Jamali' in Dhurandhar: The Revenge? Let us know.
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