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Gangs of Wasseypur

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Gangs of Wasseypur
Original British quad poster
Directed byAnurag Kashyap
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRajeev Ravi
Edited byShweta Venkat
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byCinelicious Pics
Release dates
  • May 2012 (2012-05) (Cannes)
  • 22 June 2012 (2012-06-22) (Part 1)
  • 8 August 2012 (2012-08-08) (Part 2)
Running time
321 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹18.40 crore[2]

Gangs of Wasseypur is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language two-part epic black comedy crime film produced and directed by Anurag Kashyap,[3] and written by Kashyap and Zeishan Quadri. Centered on the coal mafia (Mafia Raj) of Dhanbad, and the underlying power struggles, politics and vengeance between three crime families, the film has an ensemble cast, with Manoj Bajpai, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Richa Chadda, Jaideep Ahlawat, Huma Qureshi and Tigmanshu Dhulia in the major roles. Its story spans 68 years from 1941 to 2009.

Both parts were originally shot as a single film measuring a total of 321 minutes[1] and screened at the 2012 Cannes Directors' Fortnight,[4][5][6][7] but since no Indian theatre would volunteer to screen a film longer than five hours, it was split into two parts for that market.

Both films received widespread critical acclaim and were commercially successful at the box office. It has gained a large cult following over the years due to its dark humor, experimental soundtrack, and its raw and realistic filmmaking style not done by any Bollywood film before.[8] In 2019, The Guardian listed it 59th on the 100 greatest movies of the 21st century.[9]

Parts

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Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1

[edit]
Main article: Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1

Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2

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Main article: Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2

Cast

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  • Manoj Bajpayee as Sardar Khan, Shahid Khan's only son; Nagma and Durga's husband; Danish, Faizal, Perpendicular, and Definite's father; Mohsina and Shama's father-in-law; Feroz's grandfather.
  • Jaideep Ahlawat as Shahid Khan, the patriarch of the Khan family; Sardar's father; Nagma and Durga's father-in-law; Danish, Faizal, Perpendicular, Definite's grandfather, Mohsina and Shama's grandfather in law; Feroz's great-grandfather.
  • Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Faizal Khan, Sardar, and Nagma's second son; Durga's stepson; Danish, Perpendicular's brother; Definite's stepbrother; Mohsina's husband; Feroz's father.
  • Richa Chadda as Nagma Khatoon, Sardar's first wife; Danish, Faizal, Perpendicular's mother; Shama and Mohsina's mother-in-law; Feroz's grandmother.
  • Piyush Mishra as Nasir, Shahid Khan's servant, Sardar's sworn uncle, and narrator in the movie
  • Jameel Khan as Asghar Khan, Nasir's nephew, and Sardar's sworn cousin
  • Reema Sen as Durga, Sardar's second wife; Definite's mother; Danish, Faizal, and Perpendicular's stepmother.
  • Huma Qureshi as Mohsina Hamid, Faizal's wife
  • Zeishan Quadri as Definite Khan, Sardar's son from Durga
  • Vineet Kumar Singh as Danish Khan, Sardar's eldest son
  • Tigmanshu Dhulia as Ramadhir Singh, a criminal-turned-politician.
  • Pankaj Tripathi as Sultan Qureshi, nephew of Sultana Daku, one of Sardar's enemies.
  • Satyakam Anand as J. P. Singh, Ramadhir's son
  • Vipin Sharma as Ehsan Qureshi, Sultan's uncle
  • Pramod Pathak as Sultana Daku / Badoor Qureshi
  • Anurita Jha as Shama Parveen, Danish's wife and Sultan's sister
  • Sanjay Singh as Fazlu, Faisal's friend
  • Rajkummar Rao as Shamshad Alam
  • Vasan Bala in song Bhoos
  • Aditya Kumar as Babu "Babua" Khan ("Perpendicular"), Sardar's youngest son
  • Yashpal Sharma as Occasional Singer (Guest Appearance)
  • Vicky Kaushal as silhouette bystander (Cameo Role)[10]

Production

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Development

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Anurag Kashyap said he had wanted to make a film on Bihar with the name Bihar for some time, but for various reasons it didn't take off. In 2008 he met Zeishan Quadri (the writer of Gangs of Wasseypur) who told him about Wasseypur's story. He found it unreal to believe that mafia activity and gang war existed at such a high level, and what really attracted him was not gang war but the entire story of the emergence of the mafia. According to him, to tell the story through a few families is what interested him but that also meant a longer reel. "We all know mafia exists but what they do, how they operate, why they do we don't know and that is something which forms the basis of the film".

Casting

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According to Bajpayee, the role of Sardar Khan is the most negative role he has done till date. His motivation for doing this role came from the fact that there was "something new" with the character of Sardar Khan.[11] Piyush Mishra and Tigmanshu Dhulia were given the discretion to decide who, among them, would perform the roles of Nasir and Ramadhir. Mishra chose the role of Nasir and Dhulia portrayed Ramadhir Singh.[12] Chadda revealed in an interview that this role helped her bag 11 film roles.[13] This was Huma Qureshi's first film, and she characterised this as her "dream debut". Qureshi landed this role after director Anurag Kashyap spotted her in a Samsung commercial he was directing.[14]

Filming

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Major portions of the film were shot at villages near Bihar.[15][16] Shooting also took place in Chunar.[17] During filming in Varanasi in December 2010, film's chief assistant director Sohil Shah died while performing one of the stunt shot scenes.[18] The movie was dedicated to Sohil Shah, as is seen in the opening titles. The film finished production in late March 2011.[19]

The production cost was ₹18.4 crore.[20] Anurag Kashyap has said that it is his most expensive film, and he reportedly had to spend ₹ 15 crore on paying the actors.[21] However, he has tweeted that "45 crore as reported in the media is false."

Critical reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 32 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "More than five hours go by in a blink in this frantic Indian crime epic that spans generations and encompasses hundreds of characters in a bloody spiral of brutality, all masterfully filmed by Anurag Kashyap."[22] The film holds a Metacritic score of 89 based on 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[23]

Critic Danny Bowes of RogerEbert.com called it "[o]ne of the most ambitious gangster films ever made, and quite possibly one of the best", writing that it is "worthy of discussion alongside Coppola's first two Godfather films, or Leone's Once Upon a Time in America."[24] Salon's Andrew O'Hehir wrote: "As a rich and exuberant character-driven crime saga in an idiom you absolutely have not encountered before, and a dense, unsentimental portrayal of the collision between democracy, capitalism, and gangsterism on the frayed margins of the post-colonial world, Gangs of Wasseypur is a signal achievement in 21st-century cinema."[25] Martin Scorsese, one of Kashyap's influences on the films and personal heroes, sent a letter to Kashyap, offering praise, stating that he "loved them", even expressing a desire to meet him. Director Anurag Kashyap has said twice that Tamil-language period action film Subramaniapuram was an inspiration.[26][27]

In September 2019, The Guardian ranked Gangs of Wasseypur in 59th place in its 100 best films of the 21st century list, stating: "A possible turning point in Hindi cinema, Anurag Kashyap's epic drama doesn't pull any punches in its portrayal of gangster life in an Indian mining town".[28]

Awards and nominations

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Award Date of ceremony[a] Category Recipients Result Ref
Asia-Pacific Film Festival 15 December 2012 Best Actor Manoj Bajpayee Nominated [29]
Jury Grand Prize Anurag Kashyap Won
BIG Star Entertainment Awards 31 December 2012 Best Debut - Female Huma Qureshi Won [30]
Filmfare Awards 20 January 2013 Best Film Gangs of Wasseypur Nominated [31]
[32]
Best Film (Critics) Won
Best Director Anurag Kashyap Nominated
Best Actor Manoj Bajpayee Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Richa Chadda Nominated
Best Actress (Critics) Won
Best Female Debut Huma Qureshi Nominated
Best Music Director Sneha Khanwalkar Nominated
Best Dialogue Anurag Kashyap, Zeishan Quadri, Akhilesh & Sachin Ladia Won
Best Action Sham Kaushal Won
International Indian Film Academy Awards 6 July 2013 Best Film Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1 Nominated [33]
Best Director Anurag Kashyap Nominated
Best Actor Manoj Bajpayee Nominated
Best Actress Huma Qureshi Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Reema Sen Nominated
Best Performance in a Negative Role Tigmanshu Dhulia Nominated
Best Story Zeishan Quadri Nominated
Best Music Director Sneha Khanwalkar Nominated
Best Dialogue Anurag Kashyap, Zeishan Quadri, Akhilesh & Sachin Ladia Won
Best Action Sham Kaushal Won
National Film Awards 3 May 2013 Best Audiography Alok De, Sinoy Joseph & Sreejesh Nair Won [34]
Special Jury Award[b] Nawazuddin Siddiqui Won
Screen Awards 12 January 2013 Best Film Gangs of Wasseypur Nominated [35]
Best Director Anurag Kashyap Nominated
Best Actor Manoj Bajpayee Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Jameel Khan Nominated
Supporting Actress Richa Chadda Nominated
Best Female Debut Huma Qureshi Nominated
Best Villain Tigmanshu Dhulia Won
Best Ensemble Cast Gangs of Wasseypur Won
Best Dialogue Anurag Kashyap, Zeishan Quadri, Akhilesh & Sachin Ladia Nominated
Best Editing Shweta Venkat Matthew Nominated
Best Cinematography Rajeev Ravi Nominated
Best Sound Design Kunal Sharma, Alok De Nominated
Best Production Design Wasiq Khan Nominated
Best Costume Subodh Srivastava Nominated
Best Action Sham Kaushal Won

Legacy

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Gangs Of Wasseypur’s success led to a number of Hindi movies across the next few years that were essentially inelegant variations on the “hinterland gangsters” theme.[36]

Quotes from the film often make their way into everyday slang and have appear in numerous films.[citation needed]

The film was re-released in Indian cinemas in August 2024.[4]

Box office

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The box office records vary from source to source. The movie "did a great business at box office", according to The Guardian.[37]

According to Box Office India, both parts combined grossed ₹69 crore (US$8.1 million), against a combined budget of ₹39 crore (US$4.6 million).[38][39]

Notes

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  1. ^ Each date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
  2. ^ Also won for his performances in Kahaani, Dekh Indian Circus, and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within.[34]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "GANS OF WASSEYPUR – PART 1 (15)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  2. ^ Richa Bhatia (25 June 2012). "Anurag defends 'Gangs of Wasseypur' budget". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  3. ^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. International Film Guide. p. 141. ISBN 978-1908215017.
  4. ^ a b "Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur selected for Directors' Fortnight at Cannes". DearCinema.com. DearCinema. 24 April 2012. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur: World premiere at Cannes". IBN Live. IANS. 24 April 2012. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  6. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (24 April 2012). "Cannes 2012: Michel Gondry's 'The We & The I' to Open Director's Fortnight". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  7. ^ "2012 Selection". quinzaine-realisateurs.com. Directors' Fortnight. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  8. ^ "'You can never tell a film will become a cult while filming it". dtnext.in. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  9. ^ "The 100 best films of the 21st century". theguardian.com. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Not Masaan, but Gangs of Wasseypur was Vicky Kaushal's first film, actor reveals". DNA India. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  11. ^ "'Gangs of Wasseypur' most negative role so far: Manoj Bajpai". The Indian Express.
  12. ^ "Piyush Mishra interview for Gang of Wasseypur". Express Bollywood. 21 May 2012.
  13. ^ "I am looking for a boyfriend, says Gangs of Wasseypur actress Richa Chadha". NDTV. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur is like a Muslim Mahabharat". Rediff.
  15. ^ "My role in Wasseypur Part 2 will be bigger and better: Anurita Jha".[permanent dead link‍]
  16. ^ Anurita Jha bonds with a Bihari
  17. ^ Manoj sings without any fee for Anurag Kashyap
  18. ^ Singh, Mauli (24 December 2012). "Kashyap's AD dies in freak accident". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 August 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Anurag's next with Rahul Bhat". Hindustan Times. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  20. ^ "'Gangs of Wasseypur' and 'Teri Meri Kahaani' box office report: Below expectations - Bollywood News & Gossip, Movie Reviews, Trailers & Videos at". Bollywoodlife.com. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  21. ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur gets thumbs up, runs housefull in theatres". Archived from the original on 23 June 2012.
  22. ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 31 December 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  23. ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur Movie Review (2015) | Roger Ebert". Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  25. ^ ""Gangs of Wasseypur": India's explosive crime epic may be the next "Oldboy"". 16 January 2015. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  26. ^ "10 Years of 'Subramaniapuram': Anurag Kashyap praises Sasikumar's Classic". The Times of India. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Anurag Kashyap pays tribute to Sasikumar's Subramaniapuram: 'The film that inspired me to make Gangs of Wasseypur'". 4 July 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  28. ^ "The 100 best films of the 21st century". The Guardian. 13 September 2019. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  29. ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur wins four nominations at Asia-Pacific festival". The Hindu. 3 December 2012. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  30. ^ "Big Star Entertainment Awards 2012". Big Star Entertainment Awards. 31 December 2012. STAR India.
  31. ^ "58th Idea Filmfare Awards nominations are here!". Filmfare. 13 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  32. ^ "Winners of 58th Idea Filmfare Awards 2012". Bollywood Hungama. 20 January 2013. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  33. ^ "IIFA 2013 Technical Awards Winners". Bollywood Hungama. 21 May 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  34. ^ a b "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  35. ^ "Nominations: 19th Annual Colors Screen Awards". Bollywood Hungama. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  36. ^ "The children of Wasseypur". Mintlounge. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  37. ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur – review". the Guardian. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  38. ^ "Gangs Of Wasseypur 1 - Movie - Box Office India". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  39. ^ "Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 - Movie - Box Office India". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.

See also

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