MUMBAI: Actor Ashwat Kanth says when filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma first approached him to essay the role of Dawood Ibrahim in D Company, he couldn't see himself playing the fugitive don “I was happy to play Dawood but I couldn’t imagine myself as him. However I thought to myself that if the king of underworld cinema is wanting me to play Dawood, there has to be something in me. It was RGV’s conviction and trust that today I am playing Dawood” 

Ashwat had to make sure his portrayal of the don was different as stars like Rishi Kapoor, Akshay Kumar have played Dawood in "D Day", "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara!", respectively.

Infact Emraan Hashmi also played Dawood. 

“I had to justify RGV’s vision as a never- seen-before Dawood. In most films audience has seen Dawood as a don but in this film you will see his journey in detail. I am playing him in the film from the age of 27 to 35 which is why the styling is different and look is very different” says Ashwat. 

“We went through very intense workshops, read books, spoke to several people in the know. It was quite an experience preparing for the role” adds Ashwat.