Movie Review : Gangs of Wasseypur I

Rating : 4.5/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2012
Running time : 2 hours 30 minutes
Director : Anurag Kashyap
Cast : Manoj Bajpai, Richa Chaddha, Piyush Mishra, Jameel Khan, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anurita Jha, Huma Qureshi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vineet Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Reema Sen
Kid rating : R

Gangs of Wasseypur spans a rivalry across generations. It starts in the pre-independence days, in the small village of Wasseypur with a smoldering rivalry between the Qureshis and the Khans. When Shahid Khan uses the legendary Sultana Daku’s name to rob trains, Sultana Daku’s real successors decide to teach him a lesson. His gang members are massacred and he is forced to leave Wasseypur with a promise never to return. He leaves only to toil in Dhanbad’s mines under a wily boss Ramadhir Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia). When Shahid Khan disappears mysteriously, his son Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) grows up to remember his father’s enemies and extract his own brand of revenge on them; he won’t kill them outright he says, “unki keh ke lenge“.

Gow 1 & 2 remind me of The Godfather films (Gow is better though). Because this is the Indian mafia – organic and homegrown. Gow Part1 shows us how this mafia begins in the rural heartland – the petty rivalries which spawn it and keep it going. Underneath all this is the struggle for power in an unpoliced world, where might is right. Sardar Khan is truly his father’s son, brave and wily and a little foolhardy. With help from his family members Asghar Khan (Jameel Khan) and Nasir Ahmed (Piyush Mishra) Sardar Khan sets about vanquishing his enemies.

Gow 1 has many characters. The main ones stand out – this is the tale of Shahid Khan and his successors, but director Kashyap does an outstanding job of delineating each and everyone of them, from the minor to the most major. The tale is set mostly in rural areas of Bihar (now Jharkhand) and the film smacks of that flavor – from the earthy dialogues to the prolific cusswords to the songs – “O womaniya“, “Jiya ho Bihar ke Lala” and the quirky Hunter song. The film is very strongly story based, which is quite unusual because films hyped to this extent are more about the frills than the content. Initially it resembled a small village tale of the 1960s, a la Manoj Kumar, so much so that I began to wonder what the fuss was all about (my parents hadn’t liked the film because of all the bad language) but then it took off and the rest, as they say, is history.

Manoj Bajpai’s flailing career stands resurrected with this film, and he gives a spectacular performance (as expected from an actor of his calibre) as Sardar Khan. With his surma-lined eyes, to his philandering ways, Bajpai is every inch Sardar Khan. This is his film. Married early to Nagma Khatoon (Richa Chaddha) Khan still has a roving eye, and uses his religion (which he says allows him 4 wives) to justify his lust. Thus his entanglement with Durga (Reema Sen), a Hindu recently arrived from Asansol. Sardar Khan spawns many sons, among whom Danish (Vineet Singh) shows a desire to join his father’s business, while Faizal (Nawzuddin Siddiqui) is lost to drugs and hatred.

Perpetually pregnant Nagma is a spirited, feisty woman, who while she berates Sardar Khan for his many failings, remains staunch in her support. Richa is effortless as Nagma Khatoon. Piyush Mishra is part narrator and just as effortless as Nasir Ahmed, Sardar Khan’s right hand man. Tigmanshu Dhulia is Ramadheer Singh, the “khadaan” owner who has overtaken the mines as the British left. Dhulia, director of films like “Haasil”, proves his mettle as an actor too.

The film is engrossing; you don’t move out of your seat fearing a lost nuance. It has all the qualities which make up a great film – a fantastic storyline and screenplay, a talented cast, adept characterization, and an attention to detail from a director who knows what he is doing.This film along with Part 2 are game changers; in the Hindi film industry they are a landmark of sorts, a reminder of what films can be if only the makers know their craft. One of the best films of recent years, this is an absolute must-see.

Kidwise : This is a very violent film, with language suitable for adults only.