Gangs of Wasseypur

Plot

During British colonial rule, the administration seizes agricultural lands in Dhanbad to initiate industrial coal mining. The neighboring village of Wasseypur is heavily dominated by the elite Qureshi butchers. In 1941, a Pashtun laborer named Shahid Khan is banished from Wasseypur for impersonating a legendary Qureshi bandit who plundered British transit trains. Shahid relocates his family to Dhanbad to work in the mines. When his wife tragically dies during labor, a vengeful Shahid murders the mine's abusive overseer who had denied him leave. Following India's Independence, the British mines are acquired by domestic industrialists, and Shahid is hired as a security enforcer by an aspiring tycoon, Ramadhir Singh. Recognizing Shahid's growing ambitions, Ramadhir orders his assassination via a hitman named Yadav. Although Ehsaan Qureshi is dispatched to eliminate Shahid's remaining lineage, Shahid’s young son, Sardar, escapes the purge, eventually learning the truth and vowing absolute vengeance against Ramadhir.

By 1965, Ramadhir transitions into politics, establishing a ruthless hegemony over the local labor unions. Following the nationalization of Indian coal mines in 1972, Ramadhir consolidates his authority by assassinating an uncooperative government official, cementing his status as the undisputed crime lord of Dhanbad. Concurrently, an adult Sardar marries Nagma Khatoon, fathering three sons: Danish, Faizal, and Babua. Tolerant of Sardar's hyperactive libido, Nagma permits his extramarital affairs. Operating under the radar, Sardar, his cousin Asgar, and his uncle Nasir work for Ramadhir’s son while covertly plundering Ramadhir's fuel stations and freight trains. A subsequent arrest alerts Ramadhir to the terrifying reality that Shahid Khan's heir is alive and waging a covert war against him.

In 1979, Sardar and Asgar execute a daring prison break. Seeking refuge in Wasseypur under the protection of Qamar Makhdoomi, Sardar takes a second wife, Durga. In the 1980s, Wasseypur is administratively merged into Dhanbad. The Qureshi clan, now led by the volatile Sultan, continues to oppress the non-Qureshi Muslim population. Makhdoomi enlists Sardar to neutralize the threat, prompting Sardar to launch a devastating series of bombing raids against Qureshi businesses and strongholds. This campaign establishes Sardar as a premier syndicate leader, eclipsing the Qureshis' authority. Sardar briefly reunites with Nagma, but when she becomes pregnant again, a frustrated Sardar returns to Durga, who gives birth to his fourth son, Definite.

Production

Development

Anurag Kashyap said he had wanted to make a film on Bihar with the name Bihar for some time, but for various reasons it didn't take off. In 2008, he met Zeishan Quadri, who would then go on to write the script of the film, after he discussed with him Wasseypur's story. He found it unreal to believe that mafia activity and gang war existed at such a high level, and what really attracted him was not gang war but the entire story of the emergence of the mafia. According to him, to tell the story through a few families is what interested him but that also meant a longer reel. "We all know mafia exists but what they do, how they operate, why they do we don't know and that is something which forms the basis of the film".

Casting

According to Bajpayee, the role of Sardar Khan is the most negative role he has done till date. His motivation for doing this role came from the fact that there was "something new" with the character of Sardar Khan. Piyush Mishra and Tigmanshu Dhulia were given the discretion to decide who, among them, would perform the roles of Nasir and Ramadhir. Mishra chose the role of Nasir and Dhulia portrayed Ramadhir Singh. Chadda revealed in an interview that this role helped her bag 11 film roles. This was Huma Qureshi's first film, and she characterised this as her "dream debut". Qureshi landed this role after director Anurag Kashyap spotted her in a Samsung commercial he was directing.

Filming

Major portions of the film were shot in the state of Uttar Pradesh, mainly in the district of Sonbhadra Varanasi. Shooting also took place in Anpara, Obra Chunar. During filming in Varanasi in December 2010, the film's chief assistant director, Sohil Shah, died while performing one of the stunt shot scenes. The movie was dedicated to Sohil Shah, as is seen in the opening titles. The film finished production in late March 2011.

The production cost was ₹18.4 crore. Anurag Kashyap has said that it is his most expensive film, and he reportedly had to spend ₹ 15 crore on paying the actors. However, he has tweeted that "45 crore as reported in the media is false."

Themes and portrayals

Style

The filming style adopted by Anurag Kashyap in Gangs of Wasseypur bears a striking similarity to the styles of Sam Peckinpah. The scenes are short in length, several in number and often a series of montages take the story forward. Anurag Kashyap never has to resort to extraneous elements like stylised entries, editing patterns or camera motions to add to the effect because the story has an intrinsic impact of its own. However the film doesn't fall short of any technical finesse. There's unabashed blood, gore and abuse wherever the scene demands.

Lines like "Tum sahi ho, woh marad hai," ("You are right, he is male") said in resigned agreement to a wronged wife stand out for their cruel truths of rural life. Kashyap's use of occasional bursts of music and comedy to punctuate the slowly augmenting tension at different junctures is highly reminiscent of Spaghetti Westerns. Kashyap's use of dark humour to judiciously propagate violence bears an uncanny similarity to Quentin Tarantino's style of movie-making. Absorbing styles as diverse as those of old-school Italo-American mafia classics a la Coppola, Scorsese and Leone, as well as David Michod's taut crime thriller Animal Kingdom, Kashyap never lets his influences override the distinct Indian colour. The pacing is machine-gun relentless, sweeping incoherence and repetitiveness under the carpet as it barrels forward with hypnotic speed.

Theme

The movie chronicles the journey of the saga associated with coal mines. It portrays the gang lords of Wasseypur like Shafi Khan, Faheem Khan and Shabir Alam. The film has also been inspired from the story of rivals Shafi Khan and Surya Dev Singh. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN calls the movie, a gang warfare and notes that "On the surface, Gangs of Wasseypur is a revenge saga, a tableau of vengeance between generations of gangsters. Scratch that surface and you'll discover more than just a grim portrait".

While some of the critics noted that the film, is a powerful political film, which underlines the party politics system (at that time) allowing the growth of illegal coal trading and mafias in the region (Bihar) and their use as a political tool, thus making the allotment of coal blocks, one of the most powerful expressions of controlling power in the region. Despite its grim theme, the film also has an inherent sense of humour that comes quite naturally to it from its series of events. The scene where Reema Sen is charmed by Manoj Bajpai over her daily chores or the one where Nawazuddin goes on a formal date with Huma Qureshi are outrageously hilarious.

The household politics is one of the many subplots rendering layers to the story. You realise Sardar's family is emerging into a Corleone set-up of sorts. His sons - the brooding Danish and the doped-out Faizal (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) from Nagma, and the enigmatic Definite Khan (Zeishan Quadri) from Durga - will become key players in this revenge story. Violent as his screenplay is, Kashyap reveals wit while narrating his tale. Ample black comedy is used to imagine the gang war milieu. The humour lets us relate to the intrinsic irreverent nature of men who live by the gun. Character development can best justify the length of Gangs of Wasseypur.

Music

The soundtrack album of the two-part compilation of Gangs of Wasseypur has 27 songs, composed by Sneha Khanwalkar and Piyush Mishra, with lyrics by Mishra and Varun Grover. However, the album was split up according to the film's release. Gangs of Wasseypur has 14 songs which were released on 1 June 2012. The film's soundtrack is heavily influenced by traditional Indian folk songs. The film score is composed by Tamil composer G. V. Prakash Kumar.

The audio launch of this film took place in a unique way at a road show event, held in the streets of Mumbai, where Manoj Bajpayee, Huma Qureshi and Anurag Kashyap, had driven a jeep around the suburbs and the team danced on the streets wearing red gamuchas and has been making public appearances in them ever since.

Marketing

The marketing of Gangs of Wasseypur was noted for its uniqueness. Gamchha, a thin traditional East Indian towel was taken to Cannes, the Gangs of Wasseypur team danced on the streets wearing red gamchhas, after the Cannes Film Festival and has been making public appearances in them ever since. While most music launches in India happen with a big party in a 5-star banquet hall in Delhi or Mumbai, and formal announcements before the press, the music of this film, was launched in Patna.

Gangs of Wasseypur mementos — The Gangs of Wasseypur team has made a memento consisting of bullets of a different era. While all sorts of weapons have been used in the film, this is the best thing one could give as a memento.

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 32 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.1/10.

India

Bikas Bhagat of Zee News gave the movie 4 stars out of 5, concluding that "So if you want to experience an all new wave of cinema in Bollywood, Gangs of Wasseypur is your movie. It has some really quirky moments which I'll leave for you to explore in the film. Watch it for its sheer cinematic pleasure!"

Subhash K. Jha of IANS gave the movie 4 out of 5 stars, saying that "Brutal, brilliant, dark, sinister, terrifying in its violence and yet savagely funny in the way human life is disregarded Gangs of Wasseypur is one helluva romp into the raw and rugged heartland. Not to be missed." Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the movie 3.5 stars out of 5, saying that "On the whole, Gangs of Wasseypur symbolizes the fearless new Indian cinema that shatters the clichés and conventional formulas, something which Anurag Kashyap has come to be acknowledged for. It has all the trappings of an entertainer, but with a difference. The film prides itself with the substance that connects with enthusiasts of new-age cinema. But, I wish to restate, one needs to have a really strong belly to soak up to a film like Gangs of Wasseypur. Also, this striking movie-watching experience comes with a colossal length and duration. The reactions, therefore, would be in extremes. Gangs of Wasseypur is for that segment of spectators who seek pleasure in watching forceful, hard-hitting and gritty movies."

Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave the movie 3.5 stars out of 5, concluding that "Bolstered by its riveting performances and its thrilling plot dynamics, this is a gripping film that seizes your full attention. I'm going with three-and-a-half out of five for Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur. Despite its occasionally indulgent narrative, this bullet-ridden saga is worthy of a repeat viewing, if only to catch all its nuances. Don't miss it." Mansha Rastogi of Now Running gave the movie 3.5 stars out of 5, commenting that "Gangs of Wasseypur works like an explosive leaving you wanting for more. Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2 will definitely be a film eagerly awaited! Devour part one in the meantime!"

Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India gave the movie 3.5 stars out of 5, saying that "Director Anurag Kashyap, in his trademark style of story- telling – realistic, with strong characters, over-the-top sequences, and unadulterated local flavour (crude maa-behen gaalis galore), gruesome bloody violence and raw humour – interestingly spins this twisted tale. This first of a two-part film, is ambitious indeed; showing promise of brilliance in parts, but not bullet-proof to flaws. With a runtime this long, meandering side tracks and random sub-plots, countless characters, documentary-style narrative backed with black and white montages from actual history, it loses blood in the second half because of the Director's over-(self)indulgence. So, hold on to your guns, gamchas and 'womaniyas'."

Box office

Gangs of Wasseypur collected ₹10.63 crore in the first weekend and ₹17.70 crore in the first week. Gangs of Wasseypur grossed ₹35.13 crore total worldwide.

The success party for the film was held at Escobar in Bandra, Mumbai on Thursday, 5 July, late evening.

Gangs of Wasseypur was re-released in Indian theatres on February 28, 2025 by PVR Cinemas.

Impact

Gangs Of Wasseypur’s success led to a number of Hindi movies across the next few years that were essentially inelegant variations on the “hinterland gangsters” theme.

Quotes from the film often make their way into everyday slang and have appear in numerous films.

Historical accuracy

The film mainly draws its story from the real life gang wars that took place in the region of Dhanbad, Jharkhand.

Most of the gang wars were between the gangs of Wasseypur, not with the Singhs, who had been instrumental in instigating these wars, but never participated in them. The character of Ramadhir Singh is based on Suryadeo Singh. There was no character akin to Shahid Khan.

In the film, Sardar Khan marries the Bengali girl but in real life, the woman was maintained as a mistress. In one scene, a Muslim girl is kidnapped by Singh's men. In real life, the victim was a local Hindu girl and the kidnappers were a few goons from Wasseypur. The members of the Singh family ultimately had to threaten the entire Wasseypur community to return the girl in 24 hours. The girl was eventually returned as the Singhs were regarded in the village with might and fear.