ALREADY CAPTURING IMAGINATIONS OF THE GLOBAL AUDIENCE ARE THE GANGS OF WASSEYPUR

Anurag Kashyap who is known for treating cinema with a difference is all set to come out with his latest hindi flick ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.  Anurag’s ambitious and most expensive film till date Gangs of Wasseypur is based on the coal mafia of Dhanbad.

‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ was recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and it received a standing ovation. Known for taking up subjects that are anything but typically Bollywood, Kashyap has once again made a mark at a prestigious international platform. The film features an ensemble cast including Jaideep Ahlawat, Manoj Bajpai, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Richa Chadda. The film also has a fresh face Huma Qureshi who’s acting as the protagonist in a recent short film ‘Sujata’ produced by Tumbhi.com and Anurag Kashyap got a special mention by the Grand Jury at the recently concluded the 10th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.

A film spanning six decades, from 1941 to 2009, and set on the lower rungs of the mafia (in India’s eastern hinterlands), starts towards the end of colonial India where Shahid Khan loots the British trains, impersonating the legendary Sultana Daku. Now outcast, Shahid becomes a worker at Ramadhir Singh’s colliery, only to spur a revenge battle that passes on to generations. At the turn of the decade, Shahid’s son, the philandering Sardar Khan vows to get his father’s honor back, becoming the most feared man of Wasseypur. Staying true to its real life influences, the film explores this revenge saga through the socio-political dynamic in erstwhile Bihar (North India), in the coal and scrap trade mafia of Wasseypur, through the imprudence of a place obsessed with mainstream ‘Bollywood’ cinema.

According to Aunrag Kashyap ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ which is slated for 29th June release is entertaining and mainstream, but not that fearless. It is not a Bollywood film, but about a place that is impacted by Bollywood. And the movie has certainly started making the right noises at the 65th Cannes Film Festival where the world premiere of the film received a full house. Kashyap’s film was one of the big highlights of this year. It was a big year for Indian films at Cannes and a lot of credit for that goes to the Dev.D director. His protégé Vasan Bala was also there with his debut film ‘Peddlers’. Crowds linned up the streets to lend their support for Bollywood film, being screened at Director's Fortnight section, an independently-curated, non-competitive event that runs concurrently with the festival.