Nabil Gabol, 'real Jameel Jamali' of Dhurandhar 2, says he never met Dawood Ibrahim, questions portrayal in film

IF thither’s single worker who managed to rip the spot in Dhurandhar apart from Ranveer Singh, it is Rakesh Bedi, who impressed audiences with his portrayal of Jameel Jamali. Now, Pakistani politician Nabil Gabol, who believes the character is inspired by him, has reacted to the depiction in the film, addressing claims about whether he has ever met fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.Nabil Gabol on meeting Dawood IbrahimSpoiler alertIn Dhurandhar 2, Dawood (by his real name) is portrayed as a frail, bedridden man, who is pulling the strings from his sickbed. A scene towards the end of the film then shows a young Dawood and how he came to be bedridden after an Indian agent Jameel Jamali gives him slow poison. He is called Bade Sahab in the film.Now, in an interview, Nabil Gabol was asked if he has actually met Dawood Ibrahim.The host asked him, “Humare Mumbai se ek padosi rehte hain Karachi mein, unhe bade sahab bolte hain. Kya aap mile ho unse (Our neighbour from Mumbai lives in Karachi; he is called ‘Bade Sahab’. Have you met him?)”To this, Nabil Gabol responded, “Main kabhi nahi mila hun, na mujhe pata hai ke woh Karachi mein mein rehte hain… Media aur Dhurandhar film mein dhikhaya hai ke woh Karachi ke Clifton area mein rehte hain… Woh area mere ghar se 200 metre ki duri pe hai… But na meine unhe dekha hai kahi ya unke baare mein sunna hai (I have never met him, nor do I know if he lives in Karachi… The media and the film Dhurandhar show that he lives in Karachi’s Clifton area… That area is just about 200 metres from my house… But I have neither seen him anywhere nor heard anything about him).”He added, “Dhurandhar mein dhikhaya hai ke woh death bed pe hain aur marne wale hai Jameel ke injection dene ke baad. But mujhe nahi pata ke woh hai ya nahi hai (In Dhurandhar, it is shown that he is on his deathbed and about to die after Jameel gives him an injection. But I don’t know whether it is actually the case or not).” About Dhurandhar 2At the moment, Rakesh Bedi is receiving widespread attention for his role as Jameel Jamali in Aditya Dhar-directed Dhurandhar franchise. The actor plays Jamali, a scheming and manipulative Karachi politician. He is also seen in Dhurandhar The Revenge.Dhurandhar 2 is a sequel to the spy-action thriller Dhurandhar, which was released in theatres in December 2025 and grossed over ₹1300 crore worldwide. The film franchise follows an undercover Indian intelligence agent, played by Ranveer, who infiltrates Karachi's criminal syndicates and political power structures in Pakistan in an effort to dismantle a terror network targeting India. The movie also features Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi. Dhurandhar 2 has collected over ₹1390 crore worldwide and more than ₹870 crore net in India.