Gangs of Wasseypur

Packed with some some of the most memorable performances of the decade – brutal, brilliant, dark, sinister, terrifying in its violence and yet savagely funny in the way human life is disregarded- Gangs of Wasseypur– is India’s answer to Sergio Leone in Tarantino ishtyle!  Kashyap cooks a vendetta story with reservoirs of blood, homespun bombs, backfiring kattas, undramatic romance, undiscovered locations, gory dialogues, and unmatched intensity.

There is astounding attention to detail in every technical department. The opening shot is a testament to Rajiv Ravi’s camerawork – a long, uninterrupted take that runs for minutes. Sneha Khanwalkar’s music marries Varun Grover’s lyrics, and along with Piyush Mishra’s vocals, they create magic! Every actor fits into his or her role like a glove. Richa Chadha essays the best role written for a woman in recent memory. She beats all of Vidya Balan’s recent performances put together (seriously). Nawazuddin Siddiqui has only a handful of scenes, but he makes his presence felt with his silent-water-run-deep performance. Tigmanshu Dhulia (yes, the director of Pan Singh Tomar) is the surprise package here, anchoring one end of the revenge saga solidly. Manoj Bajpayee is a treat to watch. His underrated career deserved a gem like this to redeem his potential as an actor.

Interestingly, in a film filled with bloodshed and violence, some of the best sequences of the film are its romantic ones. May it be the lust filled loud and trance Tarantino style ‘womania’ episode between Manoj Bajpayee and Reema Sen, or the dark humor when  Nawazuddin Siddiqui tentatively touches the hand of a film-crazy Huma Qureshi. The film’s loud ending leaves us craving for more. For a film so detailed and so perfectly crafted,  2 hour and 40 mins don’t hurt. Kudos to Anurag Kashyap for presenting us with one of the bravest and finest films of recent times!