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.
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