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Daddy

Daddy

Representation Score

6.8/10

Good

2017

Director

Ashim Ahluwalia

Runtime

134 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Ashim Ahluwalia’s *Daddy* goes beyond a typical crime story to become a socio-historical study of Mumbai. It explores how underrepresented identities and socioeconomic desperation intersect with the pursuit of control and survival. The film’s greatest strength lies in its cultural authenticity and nuanced portrayal of the Hijra community. It replaces the 'good vs. evil' cliché with a detailed look at how multi-layered survival occurs within oppressive structures. While the film excels in cultural authenticity and gender subversion, its focus on power dynamics sometimes aligns with traditional narratives of dominance. Nevertheless, it remains a sophisticated exploration of identity and class.

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Category Breakdown

Does Daddy have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film includes the lived experiences and social rituals of the Hijra community as a central part of the story. It avoids using LGBTQ identities for comedic relief and instead highlights their importance in the social fabric.

How does Daddy portray gender?

Good

The story challenges traditional gender roles by focusing on characters who navigate non-binary identities. While it questions patriarchal norms, the narrative often centers on broader struggles for power and dominance.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Daddy?

Excellent

The film provides an authentic depiction of the South Asian urban experience, emphasizing the specific ethnic and socioeconomic realities of Mumbai. It avoids catering to a Western perspective.

How does Daddy represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative examines criminal activities within the context of systemic necessity and survival. It critiques how exclusionary social orders and capitalist structures create environments where criminal hierarchies can flourish.

Does Daddy include disability representation?

Minimal

The film shows the physical toll of urban poverty and systemic vulnerability. However, there is no specific representation of visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

  • Provides an authentic portrayal of South Asian urban life that avoids a Westernized perspective.
  • Integrates the Hijra community as central social actors rather than peripheral caricatures.
  • Explores the complex interplay between systemic failures, poverty, and criminal ability to act.

Limited or Absent

  • The narrative occasionally leans into traditional archetypes of dominance and power struggles.
  • There is a lack of specific representation regarding visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

This is the gritty and sensational true story of Arun Gulab Gawli, a mill worker’s son who grew up in Mumbai’s impoverished Dagdi Chawl, to become an infamous don, politician and chief rival of the most powerful crime boss of the day, Dawood Ibrahim. Daddy realistically charts Mumbai’s true crime history from the 1970s and 1980s until 2012, when Gawli was finally sentenced to life imprisonment.

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