One stairwell was famed for confessions. Lovers met there to exchange small truth-tokens: used bus tokens, broken glass beads, hurried apologies. When someone scribbled a new INDEX entry — “Confession: Stair 3 — 11:43 PM” — women in neighboring rooms would pause their dishwashing to eavesdrop, not out of malice but devotion. The ledger became a communal ear.
Also known as Arun Gawli was the son of a mill worker who, in the 1970s, worked in textile mills himself. By the 1980s, he had formed a powerful gang known as the BRA gang —named after Babu Reshim, Rama Naik, and Arun Gawli. When the more famous and powerful Dawood Ibrahim began his rise, Gawli refused to join his gold smuggling operation, setting the stage for a brutal rivalry.
The success of the franchise is largely attributed to the chemistry between the lead actors: as Surya: The relatable hero.
A Hindi film starring Arjun Rampal, which is a biopic based on the life of Arun Gawli, featuring the Chawl as a major location. 6. Redevelopment: The End of an Era (2026 Update)
You might wonder, why search for the location name instead of the movie title? There are three specific reasons:
The area was known to be a "no-go" zone for police and rival gangs during its peak.
The phrase "Index of Dagdi Chawl" typically refers to two things: the digital directory for finding the popular Marathi movie franchise or the historical and cultural significance of the physical neighborhood in Byculla, Mumbai.