In ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI DOBARA, Akshay Kumar is playing a part which has grey shades to it. Meanwhile, it can also be said with absolute certainty that in this Milan Luthria-directed affair, Akshay will be presented as never before. This is further confirmed by Rajat Aroraa, the celebrated writer of OUATIMD. "Yes, Akshay is playing a character, which is larger than life. When he is around, the canvas by itself turns huge. Having said that, we have concentrated on telling a story first and then design the overall approach. No one fiddles around with what has been written or what we are trying to say.

So while we have a superstar like Akshay around, what adds on to the fun if the fact that we have a solid narrative to boast of as well," says Rajat. Says Milan, "If you look at any of my films, whether it is KACHCHE DHAAGE , TAXI NO.9211, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI or THE DIRTY PICTURE, each of these has been character-driven and not just plot-driven. Whether you like or hate the character is a different thing but there will always be a story told from his or her point of view. When someone like Akshay steps in, it helps your storytelling that much more. Moreover, he has a solid part.