Gangues de Wasseypur

I have just returned from the first day late night show of this movie (the first part) and it has totally blown me away.

The movie starts with a bang and carries the charm throughout. The way each character is introduced is terrific. It is story telling at its best. From Shahid Khan to Sardar Khan to Sultan, you actually end up fearing them all - the characters are so beautifully portrayed. Manoj Bajpai is amazing as Sardar (he really got into the character) and the narration (by one of the gang members) adds a lot of flavor to the entire flow of the movie.

Siddiqui's role is brief in the first part and I have a feeling he will play a major role in the remaining part of this epic. He is already looking good. Tigmanshu as Ramadheer Singh is terrific, his expressions too good.

Apart from this, the movie is informative - it very subtly tells the audience all about the way Indian coal mafia has progressed over the years, the gang wars, the politics. Obviously there is a lot of slang. I have not seen a Hindi movie with so crude a language ever, absolutely not recommended for family viewing and children/teenagers.

The camera angles, especially the final sequence is superb.

Anurag Kashyap is India's answer to Quentin Terentino. Gangs of Waseypur is already a Cult.

This film is often compared to its Hollywood influences, Quentin Tarantino and the Godfather, but in my opinion Gangs of Wasseypur actually outdo these. The level of scope and detail are unparalleled and makes the audience feel like they are really living in these time periods. The balancing act of so many characters is achieved deftly and with great actors who bring a strong sense of brutal ambition. This is an epic in the true sense of the term with technical perfection and an incredible story.

It has been nearly 5 years since I went and saw a movie first day first show in the theatres. But such was the level of anticipation with "gangs of wasseypur" that I found myself standing in front of the ticket counter at quarter to nine. The movie, which is 160 minutes long, starts with a shoot-them-up which may be the most authentic shoot-to-kill scene in Hindi cinema. The movie tells the story of rivalries between different sects of Muslims: the butchers, Qureshis, and the Pathans, Khans and extend over a period of three generations. The story starts from the pre- independence era when the British owned the mines in Dhanbad. After independence, these mines pass on to the wealthy landlord who hires an exiled Pathan to act as his strongman. The pathan, the father of Sardar Khan (Manoj Vajpayee) has been kicked out of his village, Wasseypur, after a confrontation with the local musclemen, the Qureshis, and is now forced to work in the mines of Dhanbad. He starts becoming too big for his shoes and is bumped off by the landlord thus beginning a series of killings and counter-killings. The acting by the "star" cast is stunning with Manoj Vajpayee leading the pack in as good as a performance as "Bheeku Mahatre" in Satya. When he stares lustfully at the back side of Reema Sen (here resurrected after being in the wilderness for nearly half a dozen years), you can feel the lust as a physical thing. He is backed by a very strong ensemble cast. The real strength of the movie is its dialogues. The words, replete with the choicest of abuses, feel as if they were wiretapped. The conversation rings true to life and had me laughing at the sheer vulgarity of it. The patois is captured very faithfully. The only negative point about the movie is its length which could have been edited somewhat in the second half when the third generation takes up (like the long Godfather III, if you may). Anurag Kashyap has put his soul into the movie and that is visible from every frame of the movie. The direction is the best I have seen this year in Hindi cinema and will only increase the expectations from the second part of this opus. And that is why I am jealous of the lucky bastards at the Cannes film festival who got to see both the parts back to back. The movie ends at a tantalizing junction and the prospect of meeting with these barely lovable characters for a second outing left me salivating.

Just saw the screening at the Sydney film festival. Its definitely one of the best Hindi movies ever made. Direction, screenplay, narration, acting, music, cinematography, everything about this movie is top notch. Anurag Kashyap is truly the best at whatever he does. You wont even feel the length of 5 hours and 20 minutes. Manoj Bajpai's has proved once again that he is the powerhouse of acting. Not one scene is out of order and everything is properly explained with no questions unanswered. Dialogues are very sharp and as close to reality as it can get.

The opening sequence in itself is a masterpiece. The way its scripted and executed is just mind blowing. All the bloodshed keeps getting more and more innovative. Its one of those movies that will always be mentioned everywhere whenever someone talks about the Indian cinema.

One of the most awaited movies of the year, the first part of Gangs of Wasseypur lives up to expectations. However, the only disappointing aspect of the movie is that one has to wait for the part two of the movie to see how the story unfolds. The movie is based at Wasseypur and other surrounding areas of Dhanbad. The time-line of the movie spans from early 1940s to early 1990s. The second part of the movie is expected to span from early 1990s to mid 2000s. It's a story of Pathans Shahid Khan (played by Jaideep Ahlawat)and his son Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee, Qureshis, and politician-cum-coal mine owner-cum- local don Ramadheer Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia)and his son. The tussle between Pathans and Qureshis, and that between Shahid Khan and Sardar Khan on one side and Ramadheer Singh and his son on the other side are the highlights of the movie. In between, one also sees different facets of coal mafia, revenge, rivalries among Muslims, and even love stories too. The movie is intense, gripping, and has a fair sprinkling of cuss words one finds in Bihar and Jharkhand, where the film is based. The music of the film is another highlight, and one needs to watch the film to fully realize the relevance of songs in the film. In short: a must- watch movie for those who love hard hitting movies with great acting from all the actors.