Sonu Sood playing Dawood Ibrahim in Shootout at Wadala

Actor Sonu Sood is all set to essay the role of Dawood Ibrahim in Shootout at Wadala. Earlier, Vivek Oberoi was signed for the role of the underworld don. But he had a fallout with Sanjay Gupta. Now, Sonu is playing Dawood, while John Abraham and Anil Kapoor appear as gangster Manya Surve and ACP Isaque Bagwan, respectively.

Talking to the PTI, Sonu Sood confirmed, "I am playing the role of Dawood Ibrahim and I am very much excited about this. We start shooting in March." He added, "Before I start shooting I would do all the necessary homework on Dawood Ibrahim. I have started collecting books and other necessary materials on him, also I intend to meet all those people who have known him or spent time with him."

Directed by Sanjay, the movie is a sequel to 2007 film 'Shootout at Lokhandwala'. The ensemble cast of the second instalment of the film also includes Kangna Ranaut, Tusshar Kapoor and Ronit Roy. The film will dramatise the first registered encounter by Mumbai police, where gangster Surve was shot dead in 1982 in Wadala. It goes on floors in March and will release in December this year.

However, characters inspired by Dawood Ibrahim have always been a Bollywood favourite as in the past it has been essayed by actors like Ajay Devgn in Company, Randeep Hooda in D, Vijay Maurya in Black Friday and others. But Sonu says he would not leave any stone unturned to play this iconic character.