Balaji Motion Pictures Ltd.  's   gangster entertainer 'Shootout at Wadala' will see Kangana Ranaut play the role of Vidya who is Manya Surve's (John Abraham) love interest. While there is no mention of Vidya in S. Hussain Zaidi's best-seller 'Dongri To Dubai' (from where a part of the film has been inspired), director Sanjay Gupta learned of her existence through his interaction with the police while researching for the film.

Reveals Sanjay, "The police know about Vidya. So do the residents of Mumbai's Dadar and Agar Bazaar areas where she is folklore. Many believe that she betrayed Manya, which led to his encounter. No one knows what happened to her after Manya's death."

On his decision to cast Kangana, he adds, "The role of Vidya was written originally with Vidya Balan in mind, as we needed a powerhouse actress to pull off the film's emotional dimension.  When it didn't work out, we opted for Kangana, as she is a fantastic actress. She has really stood by her own amid the men in the film and delivered a knock-out performance."

Interestingly, Kangana's de-glam cotton-sari look, make-up and hair have been styled on the lines of Shabana Azmi's character in 'Arth'. Concludes Gupta, "She's done something she hasn't done before."

The film directed by Sanjay Gupta stars Anil Kapoor, John, Kangana, Manoj Bajpayee, Tusshar Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ronit Roy, Siddhant Kapoor and a host of others. It releases worldwide on May 3, 2013.