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.
| Gangs of Wasseypur | |
|---|---|
 Original British quad poster | |
| Directed by | Anurag Kashyap |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Rajeev Ravi |
| Edited by | Shweta Venkat |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Viacom 18 Motion Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 321 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹18.40 crore[2] |
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] It is regarded by many as one of the greatest film series of all time.
Cast
edit- 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]
Parts
editGangs of Wasseypur – Part 1
editGangs of Wasseypur – Part 2
editCritical reception
editOn 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."[11] The film holds a Metacritic score of 89 based on 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[12]
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."[13] 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."[14] 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 had revealed twice that Tamil-language period action film Subramaniapuram was an inspiration for the Gangs of Wasseypur series.[15][16]
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".[17]
Awards and nominations
editLegacy
editGangs 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.[25]
Quotes from the series often make their way into everyday slang and have appear in numerous films.
The series was re-released in Indian cinemas in August 2024[4]
Box office
editThe box office records vary from source to source. The movie "did a great business at box office", according to The Guardian.[26]
According to Box Office India, both parts combined grossed ₹69 crore (US$8.3 million), against a combined budget of ₹39 crore (US$4.7 million).[27][28]
Notes
edit- ^ Each date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
- ^ Also won for his performances in Kahaani, Dekh Indian Circus, and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within.[23]
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. International Film Guide. p. 141. ISBN 978-1908215017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "2012 Selection". quinzaine-realisateurs.com. Directors' Fortnight. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
- ^ "'You can never tell a film will become a cult while filming it". dtnext.in. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ "The 100 best films of the 21st century". theguardian.com. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "Not Masaan, but Gangs of Wasseypur was Vicky Kaushal's first film, actor reveals". DNA India. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur Movie Review (2015) | Roger Ebert". Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ ""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.
- ^ "10 Years of 'Subramaniapuram': Anurag Kashyap praises Sasikumar's Classic". The Times of India. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Big Star Entertainment Awards 2012". Big Star Entertainment Awards. 31 December 2012. STAR India.
- ^ "58th Idea Filmfare Awards nominations are here!". Filmfare. 13 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ^ "Winners of 58th Idea Filmfare Awards 2012". Bollywood Hungama. 20 January 2013. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ "IIFA 2013 Technical Awards Winners". Bollywood Hungama. 21 May 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Nominations: 19th Annual Colors Screen Awards". Bollywood Hungama. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ "The children of Wasseypur". Mintlounge. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Gangs of Wasseypur – review". the Guardian. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Gangs Of Wasseypur 1 - Movie - Box Office India". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 - Movie - Box Office India". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.