Gangs of Wasseypur to Gangs of Bollywood

Its never too late when you want to pour your heart out to write a review for a good movie and also about one of your favorite film director who is the torchbearer of the change for the way bollywood movies are made.This one is for the fire ball "Gangs of Wasseypur" which lies close to my heart because I have always loved Anurag Kashyap's movies and I am always excited to understand his filmmaking style . The movie starts with a voice over by talented Piyush Mishra , who writes some of the most interesting and unorthodox lyrics ( check out lyrics of the songs of the movie Gulal) decribing the pre independence era of coal mining in the Dhanbad district of than undivided Bengal and now in Jharkhand. The movie makes you fall in love with the cinematography and the way sets have been created. The film takes time to pick up the pace initially, especially till the time the central character of Sardar Khan played by talented Manoj Bajpayee enters . He doesnt shine as the hero of the movie but he is an ordinary man with enough guts to take up the mighty dhoti clad politician cum businessman Ramadhar Singh played by the ace director Tigmanshu Dhulia. The initial 30-45 minutes are more about building the plot of the story than jumping directly into the theme. This is the beauty of story telling art which Anurag Kashyap knows very well. Initially the audience might feel that the movie is about coal mining issues , but than it smoothly transits into the traditional story of a son taking vow to revenge his father's murder by the dominating local politician. The son revenge over his father's murder has never been a revelation in the bollywood mainstream but the tight script laden with many one liners makes you feel that this movie is so close to reality and that is where the film scores an advantage. The chemistry between the central character Sardar Khan and his wife Nagma, played by the tall punjabi girl from Delhi, Richa Chaddha is blunt. They love , they hate , they abuse and they need each other. Thats the reality of many young couples in everyday life, isnt it. The film makes you think hard on drawing the line of morality as every character in this movie has shades of grey. Whether it's the another dominant muslim faction of the butchers , or the Khan clans of Sardar Khan or the corrupt politician and his son, they all are opportunistic and are hungry to reign their supremacy. The film literally travels with time and Sardar Khan moves from Dhanbad to Wasseypur , a small town near the coal district and forms his mighty gang which is more powerful than the butchers and the politician. The violence strikes many times but it never makes you close your eyes , instead it makes you think that many bloodbaths happen with a cool and calm mind and not in fit or sheer anger. Sardar Khan's character is serious about the revenge of his father's murder but is also equally serious about his responsibilities towards his mistress, played by the Bengali beauty Reema Sen. One is left hard to understand if Sardar Khan is using the lady to satisfy his lust or the lady is using him to satisfy her lust and greed. Nagma, the beautiful wife of Sardar Khan is a strong and outspoken woman who doesnt bow to go against her husband even when her husband doesnt live with her anymore. Howver , at the same time she doesnt spare him either and hurls abuses at him on his greed for sex and womanising. The film binds the audience with fast storytelling in the middle and doesnt give time to predict the next scene. One style of filmmaking is that you should never give enough time to audience to think what will come next and you have won the hearts of the audience. The two young sons of Sardar Khan are like poles apart in their living but the traces of their father's mentality is preserved. While one is more crazy , smoking ciggartes and pots ; the other is slightly peace maker who proposes to marry the girl from the leader of the butcher family in order to get united. The script is good , the dialogs are sharp with lots of Bihari lingo , story telling is structured , movement of scenes is fast , songs and lyrics are unorthodox of any typical bollywood fillum but what works the most in the movie is the way characters have been developed. The characters, I would say are the heart of the movie; whether its a cameo by the guy who dances on the old hindi movie hit "Kasam paida karne wale ki" , the guy who is singing "salame ishe meri jaan" in both the male and female voice during the Nikah of Sardar Khan's son or the Ray Ban girl who preaches in chaste bihari accent to Sardar Khan's son to catch hold of a girl's hand only after taking her permisson. All the songs have become a rage by now whether its Hunter, womaniya or jiya ho Bihar ke lala. Infact , I have heard these songs as caller tunes of many people whom I call, which reflecs the mass acceptance of the songs with a difference.

The lead actress or the "Womaniya" of the film played by Richa Chaddha ( if you remember , she played the role of a spoiled girl who is after Abhay Deol in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye) is terrific as Nagma . Its not easy to fit under a role of a woman which demands boldness not in terms of skin exposure but in terms of the skin of the character and she has done it a perfect 10. Piyush Mishra always comes good and here also, he is no exception. Nawazuddin Shaikh who plays as one of the son of Sardar Khan is also good and in the next part "Gangs of Wasseypur II" he will be seen in a more crazy and meaty character. Not to forget to mention the last scene of the movie, where Sardar Khan is attacked by his enemies in his car. I dont want to mention any spoiler hence would not go beyond this on the film's story line. The movie is simply binding,amazing as the violence and murder makes you not only shiver but also laugh at times. The characters act violently as if its like any other daily work for them. The movie is inspired by bits and pieces of some real stories from the small place called Wasseypur , but still you cant take credit away from a tight script writing. I think that "Gangs of Wasseypur " is going to open gates to for many such reality struck movies. To name some , Anurag Kashyap , Dibakar Banerjee, Shoojit Sircar, Tigmanshu Dhulia are the new age directors who have come up with many unorthodox and entertaining movies. we will get to see some really good movies from these talented filmmakers who would define the new "Gangs of Bollywood" Coming Soon... Gangs of Wasseypur 2...