Actor Rakesh Bedi refutes claims of similarities with Pakistani politician Nabil Gabol following the release of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’.
Rakesh Bedi, the Indian actor known for his role as Jameel Jamali in the film ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, has responded to claims made by Pakistani politician Nabil Gabol regarding their supposed resemblance. In an interview with The Lallantop, Bedi addressed Gabol’s discomfort over his portrayal in the movie directed by Aditya Dhar. Bedi acknowledged the physical similarities between them but quickly clarified that their likeness is purely coincidental.
Bedi stated, “I would like to say, I love you, Nabil Gabol. I love you very much, and it’s a coincidence that I resemble you a little bit. But I can’t help it.” He further detailed, “Neither your father came to India, nor my father went to Pakistan. But aside from our looks, we look alike; we have a slight heaviness in our bodies, which makes us look alike. I even wore similar clothes in the film, so we looked alike. Other than that there is no similarity between me and him.”
The actor firmly rejected claims that his character was inspired by Gabol, asserting that Jameel Jamali draws inspiration from multiple Pakistani politicians. Bedi concluded by stating, “My character is not based on Nabil Gabol. Jameel Jamali is inspired by many such politicians in Pakistan.”
Nabil Gabol had recently expressed his dissatisfaction after facing online trolling following the debut of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’. In a video message, Gabol shared his intention to create his own film in response to the backlash, which he claimed would depict the true essence of Lyari, a district in Karachi.
His proposed film, provisionally named ‘Lyari Ka Gabbar’, aims to counter the narrative presented in Aditya Dhar’s espionage drama and address the exaggerations concerning the area’s image. Gabol particularly took issue with the portrayal of his character as an intelligence operative in the film, suggesting that it misrepresented both his personality and relevance in the context of Pakistani politics.
Across social media platforms, debates have emerged about the film, especially concerning its representation of Pakistani figures. ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, which premiered theatrically on March 19, 2026, also features other prominent actors such as Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Danish Pandor, Gaurav Gera, Manav Gohil, and Udaybir Sandhu, and was co-produced by Jio Studios and B62 Studios.
