Gangs of Wasseypur

There are some films that are good, and there are some films that are too good.And then there comes one film... that is a case study in film making... read more

There are some films that are good, and there are some films that are too good.

And then there comes one film... that is a case study in film making, that is so fu**ing beautiful, that I simply dont feel worthy enough to review it.

Wasseypur - is the one.view less

Guns of Wassyepur.Bollywood very proudly flaunts badges like mindless entertainment, leave your brains behind comedy, potboiler, masala entertainer... read more

Guns of Wassyepur.

Bollywood very proudly flaunts badges like mindless entertainment, leave your brains behind comedy, potboiler, masala entertainer etc. The recent box office success of these films proves that there exists a larger population of people who step into the theatre to consume these films and most of them find it entertaining too.

Gangs of Wasseypur is Anurag Kashyaps Take your brains with you masala potboiler film.

On the surface it is a revenge drama spanning almost 70 years that starts between Shahid Khan (Jaideep Ahalawat) and Ramadhir Singh (Played by two actors, the older part is played by Tigmanshu Dhulia) and is inherited by future generations of Shahid Khan.

At a running time of 2 hrs 40 min the film is engaging and entertaining with not a single boring moment, that is if you find a connect with the characters and their world. They are crazy, eccentric, quirky and extremely violent without any remorse.

The voiceover and the political information overwhelm you so much that it feels like you are sitting for an exam. You have to be so attentive especially in the first hour.

Jaideep Ahalawat as Shahid Khan is the emotional anchor of the film. His track is the only time the revenge drama works which later fades away and I was watching it more as a madcap entertainer. Jaideeps fight sequence in the coal mines reminded me of Kaala Pathar. His intensity as an actor is terrific in whatever little he got to do. For me he is the find of the film.

The world of Wasseypur is filled with strong women who speak their mind and dont take things lying down. Richa Chaddha, Reema Sen and Huma Qureshi deliver terrific performances. Every scene that had Richa Chaddha in it was my favorite. The last time I enjoyed Manoj Bajpayees performance was in Aks. This one beats it and is his 2nd best after Satya.

Even though Tigmanshu Dhulia plays his part with silent menace his character comes across too weak to oppose the overpowering character of Shahid Khan which takes away some spice from the film. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the lanky Faisal Khan is the Amitabh Bachchan of the 70s. In his eyes there are multitudes of emotions.

If I sit down to write down moments that I enjoyed in the film I can fill pages mentioning it. If Anurag Kashyap has intended to make it as a masala entertainer against the backdrop of revenge he has definitely succeeded in making one but if his vision was to tell a revenge drama he falls flat on the face. I just didnt care for the revenge angle. Supporting his vision is the mind blowing music by Sneha Khanwilkar and the background music of G.V.Prakash. Both of them add funk to the violent and dark tone of the film. And to all those who worry about the duration of a film and say it is slow paced I would say that the duration of a film appears long only if it fails to engage you. An engaging film can never be too long. Gangs of Wassyepur didn't bore me for a second.

Word of mouth Gangs of Wasseypur is Anurags tribute to the American gangster movies and Godfather and also his answer to the masala films of our times.Its an item film.

Rating 3.5 (Good)

Ticket Meter Worth 250 bucks

P.S. pls stay right till the end to watch the trailer of GOW2.
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Warning: I would urge you to have patience when you watch Gangs of Wasseypur. Also it is important that you pay attention and acquaint yourself wel... read more

Warning: I would urge you to have patience when you watch Gangs of Wasseypur. Also it is important that you pay attention and acquaint yourself well with the vast array of characters thrown at you. Failure to do so will result in much confusion and rob you of the pleasure of enjoying this crazy movie.

Gangs of Wasseypur traces the life of Sardar Khan who grows up wanting to avenge his fathers death by treachery by his employer who has now become a rich politician. Along the way, his mission gets fogged by his enjoyment of absolute power and his passion for his women. The story also starts including his children in the second half paving the way for Gangs of Wasseypur, Part 2.

The first half of the movie was very confusing and time and again I had to say Yeh kya ho raha hai? I guess it takes time to settle into the atmosphere of the film, get under the skin of the language and the place and start to enjoy the experience. There are too many battles and killings as Sultan establishes himself slowly in Wasseypur and Dhanbad and becomes the king. The first half is taken up in establishing the characters and if you pay attention here, the second half will rock you.

What worked the most for me were the romances, the women and the music. The women are gutsy and Manoj Bajpai is a persuasive lover. Later, even his sons romance makes you smile at its heartbreaking innocence. The music by Sneha Khanwalkar who had also done Love sex and Dhoka and Oye Lucky, Lucky oye adds magnificently to the texture and flavour of the movie. She uses folk tunes, mixes up other stuff with it and produces a flavour so earthy that you swoon and sway in its rhythm. Check out her show on MTV called Sound Trippin in which she travels to across India, collecting local ambient sounds and recording everyday singers and local musicians, and creating a final piece of music that resonates the feel and the sounds from that location and you will sense her expertise.

Manoj Bajpai is a superb actor anyway and here as Sardar Khan he excels himself. Richa Chadda as Najma, his first wife and Reemma Sen as Durga the second wife are both feisty and wonderful. Look out for Nawazzudin Siddiqui as the son Faizal . He was the guy who played the CBI guy Khan in Kahaani. The rest of the cast does a great job but the person who stands out is JAideep Ahlawat as Shahid Khan, Sardar Khans father. HE evokes your sympathy and respect in a tiny role. No mean feat.

Definitely watch this movie. It is set to become a cult film with its mind-blowing atmosphere, crackling dialogues, minute attention to detail, a very complex story and the music. But, have patience. Gangs such as these take time to form and overpower you.
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Amongst the offbeat filmmakers, only Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bhardwaj are worth being called so. They both are also Tarantino fanboys who seem to... read more

Amongst the offbeat filmmakers, only Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bhardwaj are worth being called so. They both are also Tarantino fanboys who seem to be using the influence of his work to create good cinema. Kashyap makes two kinds of movies: the political ones and the twisted ones. The twisted ones are No Smoking (2007) and Dev D (2009). The political ones are Black Friday (2007) and Gulaal (2009). This time Kashyap fuses the two like a science experiment which explodes in the laboratory. Except that it isn't an experiment gone wrong but one that was intentionally meant to combust. This amalgamation has led to a third kind of movie in Kashyap's oeuvre: the entertaining one.

Gangs of Wasseypur is an Indian gangster epic which should have been made by now, if not for the constraints that are involved in making films in our country. Nonetheless, it is better late than never. The first part of Gangs of Wasseypur begins with a clip of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi where the wonder-bahu Tulsi, introduces the characters of the TV show. That was one of the many instances when I smiled and wanted to hug Anurag Kashyap and tell him what a cheeky b*****d he is (while he gets creeped out by my excitement). Moving on. We are told from the beginning that we are going to be introduced to many characters. Only the guns interrupt and inform us that this introduction would be a teensy-weensy bit different from that of a television soap. It's confusing only if you aren't paying attention. Okay fine, it's confusing even if you are. Although while we are being bombarded with characters, they are so fascinating that there's hardly any time to complain. Trust me, you have 2 hours and 40 minutes to do so and I know you will. It's just that I feel without watching the second part, I may not jump to a conclusion that a character was wasted or the film needed chopping.

As soon as the cool opening credits started rolling with a voice-over narration and ultra awesome music, I knew I was in for a treat. Although this claim does stumble in between, it manages to stand right back up. The plot of the film centers around Sardar Khan. A brief history of his father and how he became a gangster is also given. It's as if The Godfather Part 2 was made first. Surely, the second part will center around his son, Faizal. Even when you can see all these influences, the film never feels unoriginal. This is because of the characters. Sardar Khan is not your usual gangster solely obsessed with power or revenge. He is also a man-whore, albeit with his own rationalized set of morals. Manoj Bajpayee becomes Sardar Khan by just smiling wickedly. The rest of the things he does is just gratuity. His guns not working properly, his insatiable sexual urges, his confrontations with Ramadhir Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia) are all what contribute to an electrifying film.

We must not forget there is a sequel coming. How many of us absolutely fell in love with Kill Bill without watching the second? Or Before Sunrise without watching Before Sunset? The truth is that some two-part movie series only make sense when looked at as a whole. Even the existence of the second film elevates the status of the first. Although, I do confess there were moments which made me cringe or didn't make sense. There were moments which were dull. There were moments where the music wasn't used well (Hunter - who the hell was that weirdo?). Moments where I felt Kashyap is better than this.

But they are outnumbered by the moments which made me go "Woah!". Or the ones where I was laughing hysterically. For example, The scene in which Huma Qureshi wants Nawazuddin Siddiqui to ask for permeessun to hold her hand. The film soars when it's is entertaining. The moments where the music is used beautifully. For example, O Womaniya, Keh Ke Lunga and the wonderful Salaam-E-Ishq sequence. But most notably the ending. Jiya Tu plays on the soundtrack and a scene involving a spoiler plays out on screen. To put it bluntly and a little Sardar Khan-like, THIS is cinematic sex. The climax just leaves you wanting for more. view less

At two hours forty minutes running time, Gangs of Wasseypur is an deliciously gripping revenge saga set in the bad lands of Bihar. In a Tarantino m... read more

At two hours forty minutes running time, Gangs of Wasseypur is an deliciously gripping revenge saga set in the bad lands of Bihar. In a Tarantino meets Ram Gopal Varma settings, a tale of blood cuss words and revenge unfolds in the backdrop of Bihar's coal mafia.

Manoj Bajpai plays Sardar, whose father was killed by Ramadhir Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia in a brilliant turn). He vows to avenge his father's death by making every second a living hell for Ramadhir. How he goes about, well, half of the how, is the crux of this film.

Incomplete by design, Anurag Kashyap stops the first half of the saga at an interesting point that while leaving one wanting to know what exactly happens next, makes for a witty at times prolonged watched.

Populated by numerous characters, the world of Gangs is male dominated. The men are ruthless, uncouth and trigger happy to a fault. the narrative is grim yet inter spread with wry humor and amazing music pieces. Director Kashyap tells his story in his own way, slowly, indulgent at times with scenes and sarcastic at times particularly in how he uses songs during some of the most gory sequences in the movie.

Every single actor in the film seems chosen with care. Nawazuddin excels as Faizal, silent seering within. Tigmanshu excels as the menacing Ramadhir. Manoj Bajpai however walks away with the lions share of praise. His Sardar is an animal, unable to control his primal needs to hunt, kill, assert his supremacy and his lust for the flesh. It is difficult to tell where Manoj blends with Sardar as the character creeps onto the psyche from the very first appearance on the screen. The women have pretty little to do in this testosterone fest, yet Richa and Reemma leave an astounding impression.

If there is any fault in this enterprise, it is the painful length. The characters take their time in getting introduced, the backstory of Sardar's father goes on for like forever and post interval patience runs thin as you wonder how long it would take for the movie to make its point. Some crisper editing and a tighter screenplay would have made this one an even more engaging affair.

Lots of gaalis, lots of blood and some serious cinematic brilliance, Gangs of Wasseypur is one eccentric joyride. view less