Special Chabbis, Shootout At Wadala And ABCD-Any Body Can Dance Movie Poster

The filmmakers have done it in the past and are back at it again. One of the latest strategies to attract the younger brigade, to sound hip and cool and to generate that extra amount of interest in the viewers, the cinema makers tend to name their creations in a language with which the Generation Y can easily connect.

There are a few makers like Imtiaz Ali who barring Socha Na Tha, has tried this formula on almost all the movies, be it Jab We Met, Rockstar or Love Aaj Kal. Imtiaz Ali was the writer for Cocktail and is currently busy shooting for his ‘emotionally charged, physically strenuous’ – Highway, slated to release by the end of the year.

Go Goa Gone, Desi Boyz And Mere Brother Ki Dilhan Movie Poster

In recent history there have been films like: Go Goa Gone, Mere Dad Ki Maruti, Commando, Bombay Talkies, Mujhse Fraandship Karoge, Desi Boyz, Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, who have tried cashing on this formula. In fact more than half of the mainstream releases this year have had a similar connection.

Hum Hain Raahi Car Ke And Ishq in Paris Movie Poster

And in store this week are a flight of flicks on the same thread, be it – 3rd in the lineage, Dev Goel’s Hum Hain Raahi Car Ke, Veena Mallik-Riya Sen’s Zindagi 50 : 50 or the much delayed PZNZ’s Ishkq in Paris. Preity Zinta’s comeback home production movie was ready almost half a year ago but was in limbo after Director Prem Raj Soni was diagnosed with Cancer and had to undergo a surgery. The movie also stars Rhehan Malliek and two-time Oscar nominee French actress Isabelle Adjani.

Ugly, Shortcut Romeo, And D-Day Movie Poster

Other than these, Ankur Arora Murder Case, Shortcut Romeo, B.A.Pass, Nikhil Advani’s much talked about- Rishi Kapoor starrer D-Day, Shaadi Ke Side Effects, Kashyap’s Cannes premiered Ugly, Bombay Velvet etc. are some other notable movies that follow the paved path.

Gangs of Wasseypur And Shor in the City Movie Poster

Just like the movies, the titles also reflect the socio-economic revolution, and the gradual change that reflects the audiences’ sensibility. Actually, to a certain extent it makes sense, with Bollywood going international and as the chunk of movies based on the ‘Youth’ increase, there is definitely a race to grab the maximum eyeballs and a cheeky title, helps. Take for example Shor in the City, a la remembrance of Sex in the City! Gangs of Wasseypur, somewhere inspired from the Gangs of New York title. It’s the title that matters too along with the script and stars.

As long as the movies do well and generate that initial buzz the Hinglish titles are here to stay.

P.S: For that matter, even Akon croons for you every time in usual baritone – ‘Wanna be my Chammak Challo ?’. And ya, the Zombie Killer – Borris also has a Delhi heart. Point taken?

Parineeti Chopra at the 60th National Film Awards 2012

Actress Parineeti Chopra, who debuted in a lead role with Ishaqzaade opposite Arjun Kapoor earned a special mention at the National Awards this year. Dressed in a red Manish Malhotra dress, the actress gleamed through the evening with her eyes shining with pride and mirth.

Siddharth Roy Kapur, Tigmanshu Dhulia And Irrfan Khan at the 60th National Film Awards 2012

UTV CEO, Siddharth Roy Kapur who is reaching his company to commendable glories lately, takes credit for standing by Tigmanshu Dhulia’s unusual biopic Paan Singh Tomar that starred Irrfan Khan. While Irrfan bagged the Best Actor award for the film, duly, for carrying the entire venture single handedly, the film was lauded and acclaimed as one of Bollywood’s best works till date. Kapur, who was personally present to cheer for the film, was seen bonding with actor Irrfan Khan and director Tigmanshu Dhulia. He appeared in his handsome best wearing a snuff colored kurta.

John Abraham And Irrfan Khan at the 60th National Film Awards 2012

Actors Irrfan Khan and John Abraham were caught by the shutterbugs exchanging a pleasant moment. John, who was present to receive the award for Vicky Donor, was seen gelling well with Khan. An inexplicable actor of international repute, Khan is known for humble and warm demeanor by most Industry insiders.

Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Special Jury Award to Nawazuddin Siddiqui at the 60th National Film Awards 2012

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who left an indomitable impression on the audiences with his minimal verbal acting in Dibakar Banerjee’s short film from Bombay Talkies, that released this Friday, he was present to claim the award he earned for his brilliant role in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur. Suited up and boasting a beard, a glimpse of Nawazuddin drips of the actor’s passion and intensity on celluloid.

Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Best Screenplay Award to Sujoy Ghosh at the 60th National Film Awards 2012

Director Sujoy Ghosh who made Indian cinema glisten with his brilliant story telling in Kahaani too received the National Award for best Screenplay. Dressed smartly in turquoise blue, it indeed appeared to be his joyful moment.

Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Award to John Abraham at the 60th National Film Awards 2012

Actor John Abraham received the award for Vicky Donor being the year’s ‘Most Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment’. He was present with his girlfriend Priya Runchal for the ceremony. Runchal, who is away from the world of glitterati, got a taste of Bollywood at the ceremony on Friday. Dressed in a gold anarkali, while John sported a black bandhgala, she was ecstatic when John went on stage to receive his award. She constantly clicked pictures of him on stage and her contagious happiness was more than evident.

Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Best Actor Award to Irrfan at the 60th National Film Awards 2012

Irrfan Khan, who wore a steel grey achkan for the ceremony, proudly went on stage to take his award for the Best Actor category. Unparalleled in his work, Khan truly deserved the acclaim that has been showered on him by the critics and audiences alike.

While this is the most prestigious awards on board, they were handed out by President Pranab Mukherjee in the presence of Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal and Manish Tewari who holds the Union level post of Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Also present at the event were lyricist Prasoon Joshi, actor Annu Kapoor, musician Shankar Mahadevan and actor Javed Jaffrey.

The voting weekend for IIFA was held in mid March and reflects the multi-themed stories that ruled Bollywood in 2012.

Anurag Basu’s Barfi!, which was brilliant in terms of screen vision and remarkable cinematography, is a warm romantic tale which tugs warmly at the hearts of audiences. The film reigned at almost all Award Functions this year and has grabbed maximum nominations at IIFA too.

Closely following Barfi!, is Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor. In all its hilarity, the film stands out out for its quirky concept unraveling the life of a sperm donor.

Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur and Karan Malhotra’s Agneepath joins them after.

Besides these unanimously acclaimed films, the other notable ones at IIFA this year will be Kahaani for Vidya Balan’s breathtaking enactment and Paan Singh Tomar for Irrfan Khan’s blazing performance.

English Vinglish, Barfi, Kahaani, Paan Singh Tomar Movie Poster

Besides the nominations, what will overwhelm IIFA this year will be the occasion of 100 years of cinema and the death of legendary veteran film maker Yash Chopra.

Yash Chopra’s last film Jab Tak Hai Jaan starring Shah Rukh Khan, though opened to average and mixed reviews from critics, have garnered nominations for being the last of Yash Chopra’s overpowering brilliance.

IIFA director Sabbas Joseph exclaimed in an interview, “It’s been a phenomenal year for the Indian film industry and the nominations for this year will definitely reflect this. The growth has been remarkable.”

The contenders for the Directors’ trophy are Anurag Basu-Barfi!, Anurag Kashyap-Gangs of Wasseypur-Part I, Sujoy Ghosh-Kahaani, Tigmanshu Dhulia-Paan Singh Tomar and Shoojit Sircar-Vicky Donor. Fighting it out for the best picture award are Barfi!, English Vinglish, Gangs of Wasseypur – Part I, Kahaani, Paan Singh Tomar, Talaash and Vicky Donor.

The best performance in a leading role (male) category will see Hrithik Roshan(Agneepath), Ranbir Kapoor(Barfi!), Manoj Bajpai(Gangs of Wasseypur – Part II), Shah Rukh Khan(Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Irrfan Khan(Paan Singh Tomar) and Ayushmaan Khurrana(Vicky Donor), in the run which will easily pass as the toughest call for the jury to pick out!

Best performance in a leading role (female) are between Priyanka Chopra (Barfi!), Deepika Padukone (Cocktail), Sridevi  (English Vinglish), Huma Qureshi (Gangs of Wasseypur-Part I), Kareena Kapoor (Heroine) and Vidya Balan (Kahaani).

Music director Pritam has bagged two nominations in the category for best music direction for Barfi! and Cocktail, along with A.R. Rahman (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Ajay-Atul (Agneepath) and Sneha Khanwalkar (Gangs of Wasseypur – Part I).

Top notch audit firm KPMG audited the IIFA voting weekend and the voting for final results will begin their official website from 1st May.

Kahaani

Kahaani Movie Poster

If you’ve heard of/seen Most Fruitful Yuki, Kahaani would not seem so much of a surprise. But Sujoy Ghosh made us stop in our tracks and look at his protagonist – a heavily pregnant Vidya Bagchi played perfectly by Vidya Balan – as she searches for her lost hubby in Kolkatta. The writers Sujoy, Advaita Kala, Suresh Nair, Ritesh Shah and Nikhil Vyas may have looked westward for the climax, but it had one of the things that Indian cinema lacks these days: nuances. Be it Satyaki’s name, the hotel-manager addressing Rana, Bob Biswas or “running water”, the movie underlined that you need not repeat lines to make an impact. It was also the first movie of the year to give us a glimpse into the brilliance of Nawazuddin Siddiqui (who played the brash IB cop Khan) whom we would look forward to in the coming year.

Vicky Donor

Vicky Donor Movie Poster

No more love in the disguise of trembling flowers or a glowing campfire: Vicky Donor is love in a bottle. Somewhat. Who would have thought that a movie on sperm donation would be so funny and lovable at the same time! It looks like director Shoojit Sircar and writer Juhi Chaturvedi decided to go all out and put a virile sperm donating hero, a mother and grandmother who love their drink and a fertility doctor who does a Daler-Mehendi-style-ta-ra-ra-ra move to signify sperms in one film. While the second half may have been a yawn-some deal, the rest of the movie more than made up for it!

Shanghai/Talaash

Shanghai and Talaash Movie Poster

Shanghai and Talaash were films that were simply so unlike the other. Shanghai was an ironic take on the system that exposed and pointed out the rots in it ruthlessly while Talaash crept inside the mind of a cope on the edge: the difference was in the portrayal. Both movies thrived in mesmerizing writing but were languished by disappointing and seemingly hurried endings. Namrata Rao’s editing was spot-on for Shanghai while K U Mohanan’s cinematography lent the magic to Talaash. If Talaash had Ram Sampath’s haunting music, Shanghai jerked us back to reality with a cut to a starlet’s item dance just after the professor’s murder. Both movies had excellent actors who gave their best shots: Nawazuddin, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor and even Emraan Hashmi without his usual smooch-and-let’s-get-done-with-it role (a paunch, stained teeth, lecherous grin: unbelievable transformation).

Gangs Of Wasseypur

Gangs Of Wasseypur Movie Poster

Come to think of it Gangs Of Wasseypur was like Hindi cinema’s Kill Bill for me. The first part of both films left me speechless while the sequel gave me an expression similar to Ramadhir Singh in his “Tum se na…” dialogue in GoW2. That was the level of disappointment! With GoW, Anurag Kashyap turned things upside down: the hero (Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin) isn’t really a good guy, a scene of Sardar Khan stabbing a wrestler looks like a game, his pregnant wife (Richa Chadda) barges into a brothel wielding a knife and chases him, the heroine (Huma Qureshi) is a firecracker, the seductress (Reema Sen) has no qualms… Rajeev Ravi’s cinematography keeps you wide-eyed, Sneha Khanwalkar’s music takes a different high (O Womaniya, Keh Ke Lunga, Bihar Ke Lala, Hunter… what sorceress is she?!). As well written it was by Zeishan Quadri, Akhilesh, Sachin Ladia and Anurag, putting together three generations of gang wars between 2-3 gangs was its Achilles’ heel.

Barfi!/Aiyyaa

Barfi! and Aiyyaa Movie Poster

Both movies were more flawed than perfect. One of them should have had the disclaimer “Inspired-adapted” and the other with a “WTF!” warning. But both movies were so lovable, there’s no way they can’t be on this list. Barfi! reinstated Ranbir Kapoor as one of the few “blue-blooded” actors who can actually act and made you go “aww” throughout. It had good music but it also seemed to have driven Anurag Basu to blatantly rip off scenes from different movies. Aiyyaa was the movie that no one understood and was just a little more than a visual orgasm. Colours merged, shimmered and seemed to have a story of their own while the script and story snoozed in a corner. If it had unnecessary scenes like the garbage truck, it also had the incredibly mischevious one with Prithviraj filling petrol in Rani Mukerji’s bike (a different “aww” here).

Notable Mentions: English Vinglish: Though Sridevi’s weepy demeanour makes me cringe, she showed us what a comeback really is. And when you have people like Karan Johar taking women back to the Stone Age with Student Of The Year, you also have real heroes like Gauri Shinde showing you where you should be going.  OMG Oh My God! was another favourite for not being extremely preachy take on a touchy issue. Though the grinning Krishna-Akshay Kumar gave me the creeps, for Paresh Rawal, all is forgiven.

Contributed by Roshini Devi who reviews movies on koimoi.com

We list the top 6 supporting acts that helped sail the ship, at times saving it from sinking.

Annu Kapoor for Vicky Donor

Annu Kapoor in a still from Vicky Donor Movie

Vicky Donor might have been an out an out Ayushmann Khurrana film from frame one, essaying the life of lover boy Punjabi munda Vicky. But the film would have never been the same without Dr. Chaddha and his witty one-liners. Getting the best dialogues and pulling them through with aplomb was never a hurdle for this veteran. Playing Dr. Chaddha with delicate perfection and boisterousness, Annu Kapoor marks a return to the best Supporting arena!

Sanjay Dutt for Son Of Sardaar

Sanjay Dutt in a still from Son Of Sardaar Movie

Sanju Baba’s effortless comic act as the fiery Balwinder Singh Sandhu was appreciated by all. From his turban to the moustache and the quirky smile in the Po Po number, Sanjay Dutt was both cute and vengeful to pay homage to his ancestors. But it was the sugar coated lovey-dovey scenes with Juhi Chawla that set the stage sparkling in an otherwise bland masala entertainer.

Mithun Chakraborty for Housefull 2

Mithun Chakraborty in a still from Housefull 2 Movie

Another power-packed performer of sorts, Mithun Chakraborty scorched the silver screen this time with some spectacular performances. While he donned the grey Swami in OMG Oh My God! with élan, it was his Bhadrakali bhakt avatar in Housefull 2, J.D that did wonders. The best part about the comic caper, Mithunda infused life into the character with high spirited willingness. We were floored and how!

Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Kahaani

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a still from Kahaani Movie

An actor who breathes unconventionality in truest sense, Nawazuddin Siddiqui stands as the treasured find of this year. With a strong portrayal of the non nonsense and self opinionated Khan, Nawaz stands as a very strong contender for the crown and it would just be a fight to the finish, we presume. BTW, you cannot forget the limped Tehmur who played such a pivotal role in Aamir Khan’s cop suspense drama Talaash. No wonder, he wowed us there too!

Boman Irani for Ferrari Ki Sawaari

Boman Irani in a still from Ferrari Ki Sawaari Movie

A man who has always been a strong yet consistent contender in this category, Boman Irani played the loveable and soulful father and grandfather with a lot of grace and his performance was as usual, top notch! Vidhu Vinod Chopra certainly brings out the best in this man! We agree.

Tigmanshu Dhulia for Gangs Of Wasseypur

Tigmanshu Dhulia in a still from Gangs Of Wasseypur Movie

Tigmanshu Dhulia director who set the balls rolling with his Paan Singh Tomar earlier this year made his presence felt, big time on screen as the calculative, manipulative politician Ramadhir Singh in the Gangs Of Wasseypur series. Nurturing talents all his life, this man really showed his acting prowess driving such an innately unemotional and cold grey character with conviction.

Now with a lot more star studded entrances into the supporting crew list this year, we revisit the Top 5 Supporting actresses of 2012 who not only wowed the masses with a brilliant performance but also were at par with the lead actors, if not better!

Kareena Kapoor – Talaash

Kareena Kapoor in a still from Talaash Movie

While one was wondering who the lead star of Aamir Khan’s Talaash is, the director clearly called the shots bringing Rani to the fore as the leading lady! Even though Rani was the leading lady of this suspense drama, it was Kareena Kapoor who stole the show with an uber chic act of a prostitute with consummate ease as she essayed Rosy. While critics critically attacked the film for its mystery revelation, they called Kareena’s role as the consort battleship that could never even show a sign of sinking! Supporting and making Aamir’s Talaash is successful, Kareena as the friendly ghost drew a lot of cheers from all and sundry.

Diana Penty – Cocktail

Diana Penty in a still from Cocktail Movie

Some say Models don’t act but this leggy supermodel really made the statement a myth as she scorched screens alongside Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan in Cocktail! Touted as a blend of friendship, fashion and love, Diana Penty’s portrayal of the three central themes were aptly perfect. Diana easily metamorphosed from a typical introvert girl to a mature romantic lovelorn lady in the film, thereby hammering upon her acting prowess and what she has in store for all. With such a critically acclaimed supporting act up her sleeve, it would be nice to see how she fares in future.

Anushka Sharma – Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Anushka Sharma in a still from Jab Tak Hai Jaan Movie

The complete jackpot of the classic yet contemporary romantic filler by Yash Chopra, Anushka Sharma’s Akira was gritty, strong-willed, determined, spunky and deliciously effervescent. With not much of a contrast to Anushka in real life, she played Akira Rai to eased perfection and helped the chemistry between the lead Katrina Kaif and Shah Rukh Khan come out even stronger. Much a time you empathized with this wonder girl of sorts, but then you are shuddered with realizations of this vivacious doll eating away all the cake from the lead actress, somewhat on the acting front. She completely lived it, ‘Jiya Re’ style and how!

Ileana D’Cruz – Barfi!

Ileana D’Cruz in a still from Barfi! Movie

With a career defining debut in an enthralling film like Barfi!, South superstar Ileana D’Cruz infused life into Shruti when she stepped into her shoes from frame one. Playing the docile yet urbane Shruti with elegance, poise and grandeur, this actress packed in the best support of its kind to lead actors Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. A piece of marvel, Ileana played her part to cinematic brilliance as she not only looked stunning, but performed with all her heart and passion. Barfi and Jhilmil could never have been the same, had Shruti not existed!

Richa Chadda – Gangs of Wasseypur

Richa Chadda in a still from Gangs of Wasseypur Movie

Fiery, feisty and a firecracker, Nagma Khan, the character from Gangs Of Wasseypur was all so enviable because of this one wonder woman. Transforming from a teenager to an old lady in the film, our Miss Fire set the stage on fire with such a scintillating performance backing the pivotal characters in the film, ushering in all the glory and fame. While one credits Manoj Bajpai and Nawazuddin Siddiqui  for their effective portrayal of sorts, one cannot even dare to miss our darling Richa Chadda from the film’s USP list!

Mostly independent cinema is self produced and doesn’t entertain interference from any production house to follow a set out recipe of movie making. The entire motive of independent cinema is to create a well defined and unique artistic vision and reach it out to people. Mostly such cinema doesn’t incur higher costs and is released to a limited audience who can appreciate the essence of the film better.

Black Friday, Gangs of Wasseypur and Paanch Movie Posters

Anurag Kashyap is the King of independent cinema who has managed to channelize mainstream audiences towards taking a keen interest in this genre of cinema. Movies like “Black Friday”, “Gangs of Wasseypur”, “Paanch” are movies which have evolved the new wave of Indian cinema into mainstream. But at the same time, anything that doesn’t fall into the Bolly formula is not independent cinema. Often directors steal obscure ideas from random foreign film and sell an Indian-ized version of it.

Independent cinema is fast enmeshing itself in the mainstream cinema. The parameters of mainstream cinema have also broadened enough to fit in tertiary elements of cinema. Conforming to regular ideas, independent cinema tries different styles and themes of film making. Often camera angles can define a film as independent cinema. Their basic motive is to encourage unique thoughts and support the struggle to create and evolve something new and unseen. Bengali film “Gandu” by director Q goes a step ahead and attempts of free cinema from hostile ideas of morality and perversion.

Rahul Bose, Juhi Chawla, Nandita Das, Purab Kohli, Anurag Basu, Manisha Koirala, Anurag Kashyaap in I Am Movie Poster

Onir’s “I Am” or Amitabh Chakravarty’s “Cosmic Sex” are both films which have refrained from studio funding and have hence managed to protect the message and the essence of their story.

It is important to give the director full control of what he wants to create and how he wants to create it. More often than not, most directors fail to stick to their individual style of narration or compromise with their theme because of the exceeding pressure producers put on them. Independent cinema recklessly defies any pressure. One doesn’t always have to create something extraordinarily genius, but it is more important to create something individual and rare.

Aamir Khan’s Ghajni (2008), earning a gross of over 115 Crore (INR) became the first movie to crossover the 100 crore mark. And successive films have religiously followed. But the success is quite subjective. Although the Khans, Kumars have pertinent role to play in the box office wins yet the good content part is unavoidable. A good look at the list of the movies made to the club reveals the nuances of the success story.

Ghajni (2008)

Aamir Khan Ghajini Movie Poster

Aamir Khan as the revenge seeking hero struggling with amnesia was a huge draw of the year. The box office erupted seeing the vindictive Khan in the South Indian remake. The film with encouraging reviews was commendable for A.R Murugadoss’s direction, Aamir Khan and Asin’s stellar performances, the brutal fight sequences and A. R. Rahman’s soulful renditions. A thorough entertainer,it reached the 100 crore benchmark with great content and Aamir’s captivating presence. The publicity and promotion of the movie was tremendous with the Ghajni haircut going in rage at that point.

3 Idiots (2009)

R. Madhavan, Aamir Khan and Sharman Joshi in 3 Idiots Movie Poster

The second consequent Aamir Khan 3 Idiots movie to strike gold was a Vidhu Vinod Chopra multi starrer comedy. With a lavish star cast of Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani the film already had high hopes. To top it, the film was loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller ‘Five Point Someone’. The movie has a record breaking gross of about 202 Crore (INR), the highest ever for any Bollywood film yet. With great reviews and superior acting, directing, editing, music, dialogues, screenplay, story the movie swept most of the awards of the year and is a winner throughout.

Dabangg (2010)

Salman Khan In Dabangg Movie Wallpaper

Dabangg earned the highest gross in the opening week with 80.87 Crore (INR) and became one of the top grossing Bollywood films of all times. It won a National Award and garnered mostly positive reviews. The inescapable Salman Khan factor had already hyped the movie’s expectations. The content a wholesome entertainment was laden with rich Salman humor and raw fight scenes. In a way, Salman had single handedly carried the movie in his shoulders, with the gist intact.

Bodygaurd (2011)

Salman Khan In Bodyguard Movie Wallpaper

Although average on content, this Salman Khan starrer Bodyguard fetched a whooping 140 Crore (INR) approximately and earned the highest earnings in the opening week. With a tedious story line and sagging narrative the only saving grace of the movie was Salman’s larger than life presence. The film had the Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s hit pairing after a long time which did wonders to the film’s fate and so did its soulful tracks.

Singham (2011)

Ajay Devgan Singham Movie Wallpaper

Ajay Devgan and Rohit Shetty’s partnership saw another box office marvel. The Singham met generally with pleasant reviews and was a revisit to the old era action movies. Shetty delivered a well packed action entertainment and the movie earned the lion’s share in the market when released. The movie is another befitting example of skilled piece of  work with well handled technical aspects.

Ready (2011)

Asin Thottumkal And Salman Khan In Ready Movie Wallpaper

Salman Khan’s double whammy in the same year rose the Salman fever to great heights. A very average film on the whole, Ready worked mainly due to the master entertainer, Salman Khan. Bazmee’s ‘brain-dead’ movie may just play round the bush but with a gross earnings of about 121 Crore (INR), it is amongst the eighth highest earning films in Bollywood. The Salman fervor, ruling high and steady is one sure shot means to the rich club.

Rowdy Rathore (2012)

Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha In Rowdy Rathore Movie Poster

Akshay Kumar’s 2 movies reached the 100 crore target at ease. And Akshay is indeed a happy man! Prabhu Deva directed Rowdy Rathore responded to a brilliant publicity and marketing. The film trailer received over 22lakh  viewership in You Tube alone. Hardly a film of substance, Akshay’s moustache twirling masaledar act and some kick-ass action ripped the box office apart. The movie’s “Chin ta ta” track was a huge hit. The Telegu remake saw Akshay in a double role avatar. And it is Akshay’s raw and loud act which took the cash registers swinging.

Housefull 2 (2012)

Mithun Chakraborty, Randhir Kapoor, Shazahn Padamsee, Ritesh Deshmukh, Asin Thottumkal, Akshay Kumar, Zarine Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Jacqueline Fernandez, John Abraham, Boman Irani, Rishi Kapoor in Housefull 2 Movie Poster

Sajid Nadiadwala’s multi starrer sequel was huge draw upon its release. With a magnanimous cast, the film manage varied reviews from the critics. But Akshay’s ‘aaaeeye’ performance in the inane comedy with logic defying wit clearly outshone others. The movie was heavily promoted, the cast were on extensive promotional tours and the movie ended earning lump sum. As evident, Akshay’s gravity  swiftly helped the film reach an astounding 113 Crore (INR) approximately.

Ra.One (2011)

Shah Rukh Khan In Ra.One Movie Wallpaper

Shah Rukh Khan’s  home production Ra.One earned a gross of about 115 Crore (INR). The science fiction flick was extremely well driven in its advertisement campaigns. Shah Rukh Khan is well known for his brand endorsing capabilities. And Khan for the movie’s promotion had tie ups with numerous brands which he personally endorsed. A staggering 52 Crore (INR) were spent on promotional activity. You Tube ran Ra.One links of the film’s trailers, a part of the film’s promotion on web. Even with subdued reviews the movie managed to join the 100 Crore Club. The film set the record for highest single day earning and shattered the Golmaal 3’s Diwali record of first day openings.

Don 2 (2011)

Shah Rukh Khan In Don 2 Movie Wallpaper

Farhan Akhtar‘s Don 2, a highly stylized sequel managed to book seat in the elite club with about 115 Crore (INR) total earnings. Shah Rukh Khan’s urbane look and smooth antics made the movie a rage. The scenes of the film’s well plotted plan and the slick action were an added advantage to the movie’s reception. With an average theme, the great publicity and Khan’s tremendous fan following gave the action flick its due. And Shah Rukh Khan as he is, had left no effort in the film’s promotion even travelling to Berlin for its international premiere.

Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

Salman Khan In Ek Tha Tiger Movie Wallpaper

YRF’s first production to strike the club has reached the level of 100crore within a span of 5 days. A well timed Eid release, Salman has struck gold consecutively after Dabangg, Bodyguard and Ready. This has further strengthened his hold in the privilege club. The movie though referred as run of the mill, the Salman power has done its wonder yet again. The film shows Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif performing some dreaded stunts.

Vidya Balan In Kahaani, Manoj Bajpayee In Gangs Of Wasseypur, Ayushmann Khurrana In Vicky Donor Movie Posters

Not all film’s success can be governed by the star value or high end marketing strategies. Neither do all the movies reach the 100 crore mark to be declared a super hit. Vidya Balan leading The Dirty Picture (2011), a biographical on Silk Smitha’s life was a smashing hit. It had no major stars but what prevailed was the honest efforts and fine content. Similarly, Balan’s Kahaani, another big hit of the year 2012, carved her a genuine niche in the industry. Made with a paltry budget of 8 Crore (INR), the movie became a roaring success.

John Abraham’s production Vicky Donor was one of the low budget movies of 2012. The film on sperm donation and infertility issues was a box office success earning in total about 46Crore (INR) and made Ayushmann Khurrana a household name. A very recent example can be Anurag Kshyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur I & Gangs of Wasseypur II  movies. Raw, earthy the movies made for a watch and the crude violence played dangerously.   Hailed by critics, a genuine work, the movies did its fair share of business surviving on content only.  Other content wise successful movies like Band Baaja Baraat, Ishaqzaade, Ishqiya  have had its share of win in the box office without reaching the 100 crore level and without the Khan or Kumar element.

Bollywood is going the number crazy way but to comprise content for money would be a huge discredit. Khans or Kumars sell indeed but only to an extent plausible. And a fine content just boosts up the chances of box office success. So the exclusive club just about manages to settle a heady combination of both the Name and the Idea. And this mishmash of the Fame and Talent is here to stay.

Rowdy Rathore, Agneepath Movie Poster

A look at the Pre-July Releases:

Superstars Rule:

Talking about the rulers, it is actually Akshay Kumar who leads the race. With 2 blockbusters of the year till date- Housefull 2 and Rowdy Rathore- the Kumar has changed his continued string of flops (read: Action Replayy, Tees Maar Khan, Patiala House and Thank You) into major box office earners. While Housefull 2 collected Rs. 114 crores in India alone, Prabhudeva’s masala flick Rowdy Rathore garnered a massive Rs. 130 crores in the domestic market, making Kumar the undisputed King of the box office of the 1^st half of the year.

Not much behind in the race is Bollywood’s Greek God Hrithik Roshan with his mega-film Agneepath, co-starring Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt. The film kick-started Bollywood’s fate at the 2012 BO in an impressive way, earning Rs. 123 crore, and giving Hrithik a new high after a successful Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in 2011.

None of the three ‘big’ Khans had any release, but our Chhote Nawab Saif Ali Khan did have his home production Agent Vinod, co-starring his soon-to-be wife Kareena Kapoor. The film was a major disappointment but ‘Pungi’ saved it from being a complete disaster.

Bhatt-favorite Emraan Hashmi has contributed in his own way to the semi-annual Profit & Loss Statement of 2012 through his films like Shanghai and Jannat 2.

But from among all the Kumars, Roshans and Khans, emerges a ‘Silk’ Balan who proved her mettle once again in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, which raked in Rs. 60 crores, carrying forward her hit streak of ‘The Dirty Picture’ that had earned Rs. 80 crores in 2011.

New Talents on the Rise:

Ayushmann Khurrana In Vicky Donor, Arjun Kapoor Ishaqzaade Movie

The first half of the year witnessed new talents making their debut in the industry and bringing in some real good money. Ayushmann Khurrana turned out to be the surprise package, with his Vicky Donor receiving a thumbs-up from the audiences and critics alike. The film, made on a modest budget of Rs. 5 crores, earned Rs. 46 crores at the box office, adding to the numbers.

Similarly, Boney Kapoor’s son Arjun Kapoor made his debut with Ishaqzaade, which was also well-received at the BO. The film grossed more than Rs. 45 crores, and worked out due to the catchy music and the appreciable performances of the lead pair. Needless to say, Parineeti Chopra shone again in the film.

The Different Cinema and the True Performers:

When you have talented stars like Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpai in your film, chances are rare that the film won’t work or get noticed. Irrfan’s Paan Singh Tomar and Bajpai’s Gangs of Wasseypur re-affirmed that these actors are their best in off-beat and artistic cinema. The films contributed Rs. 15 and 25 crores respectively to the Profit & Loss Statement of the half year.

The Break-even Points:

The first half of 2012 saw a number of films which had fresh content to offer and turned out to be decent box-office earners. Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya and Ferrari Ki Sawaari had new and interesting stories to tell, and were among the ‘good’ films that we saw pre-July.

The Losses:

While some films struck right with the audiences, there were numerous others which failed to leave an impact. Players, Ek Deewana Tha, Jodi Breakers, Teri Meri Kahani, Department, Dangerous Ishq, Blood money, Hate Story, Bittoo Boss, and many others, featured big names but did nothing to make their fate ‘big’ at the BO.

Hollywood comes to Town:

Mission Impossible Ghost-Protocol, The Amazing Spider-Man Movie Poster

To save you from the terrible impact of some of the worst yawnathons of 2012, a bunch of Hollywood films released in India and emerged as major earners. Mission Impossible 4, Men In Black 3 and The Amazing Spiderman confirmed that India is not just about Bollywood, but also about Hollywood lovers!

A Look at Part-II so far:

Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum, Bol Bachchan Movie Poster

A soaring first half has sent expectation levels high from the second half of the year. Rohit Shetty hit the blockbuster jackpot with his Bol Bachchan, and Saif Ali Khan compensated for Agent Vinod by delivering Cocktail. The film grossed Rs. 80 crore till now, thanks to uber cool DPs (Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty, silly!) and the superb foot-tapping chartbusters.

Kya Super Kool Hain Hum and the much-awaited Jism 2 (starring Canadian adult-star Sunny Leone) have projected good numbers.

In the run-up to Eid this month will be the most-anticipated film of the year- Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger. The YRF production will see Katrina Kaif opposite her ex-beau. The music is already topping charts and the film is expected to break all blockbuster records!

Not far behind is Akshay-Sonakshi starrer Joker, which seems to be one to look out for. Other films that have sent excitements levels soaring for the second half of the year are Anurag Basu’s Barfee, Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine, Ajay Devgn starrer Son of Sardar, Talaash and SRK-Katrina-YRF untitled film!

With so much on the platter, 2012 sure is going to be one helluva box office wonder! Sit back and watch the game!

User rating:

After the success of ‘Hunter’ and ‘Womaniya’ amongst others, composer Sneha Khanwalkar and lyricist Varun Grover are back with the songs of ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur-2’. The expectation has been set ever since the first part itself and listeners can’t be expecting anything exceptionally different. However, since there are 13 tracks, one can still look for a variation in music and lyrics.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Movie Stills

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Chi Cha-Ledar

Sneha opens the album with a fusion of techno with desi beats track ‘Chi Cha-Ledar’. Lyrics are close to the rural belt in UP- Bihar with a mix of English words lending their own touch. Varun has been able to catch the essence through his words which leads to an interesting mix that grows on the listener. Icing on the cake is the singer Durga who is barely 12 years old and has delivered a funky track which definitely calls for attention.

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Kaala Rey

‘Kaala Rey’ is an interesting and an unusual track which actually turns out to be pretty charming. Music adds a melancholic note to the track and it moves forward while creating an eerie atmosphere. It’s a theme-based track that would be able to expose the emotions and sentiments of the scene and the protagonist. Sung by Sneha with good support from the chorus, this one is an unusual track that one rarely gets to hear in Hindi movies.

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Electric Piya

Rasika D Rani takes the album forward with ‘Electric Piya’. Though the title compliments the sentiments of the protagonist in a very basic manner with the use of rural and regional language, overall the song does not impress much. Also, there is a fusion version for the same and though it works better then the original, none of them really manage to throw a punch.

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Taar Bijli

Album paces ahead with ‘Taar Bijli’. Sung by Padamshree Sharda Sinha, it’s a song, which takes you back to small town ladies sangeet evenings where there are vocals interspersed with ‘dholak’ beats. Overall though this one too is quite average and does not offer anything extraordinary to the listener other than the colloquial lyrics that draw some attention.

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Bahut Khoob

Experimentation continues in the next track as well. Titled ‘Bahut Khoob’, this one is sung by the ‘Kids of Mushar Village’. The song only has some sounds amalgamated with bare minimum words. There is another version titled ‘Bahut Khoob- 8 bit’ which is not very different from the original other than addition of some robotic sound. Hopefully the director has some reason to include these in the album!

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Aabroo

Piyush Mishra and Bhupesh Singh make an entry in the album through ‘Aabroo’, which tries to get the listener back to some normal music. Sneha has used street play mechanism for this composition which does work to an extent. It’s not a track that you would hum though on screen it can be expected to make a very good impact.

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Perpendicular Theme and Tunya

Instrumentals are a tricky business and Sneha masters the art not with one but as many as two of them – ‘Perpendicular- Theme’ and ‘Tunya’. They are nothing but an assortment of different sounds which works on the creative level but hardly promises anything as standalone tracks.

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Moora

‘Moora’ takes the album forward in its own unusual way. Bihari zone sees some soothing Caribbean interspersion that could well attract a listener. It’s the only song in this album which comes closest to a traditional Bollywood music. Sneha takes control and tries to woo the listener with her voice. There is another version of this song, ‘Moora-Morning’, which is a little faster than the original and with additional sounds. However it’s the original that impresses the listener more.

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: Keh Ke Loonga

Album ends with an abbreviated ‘KKL’ which all GOW watchers are familiar with as ‘Keh Ke Loonga’. While this has anyways become a cult song for many out there, Sneha further plays with sounds and comes up with a fascinating mix. There are just a few words in the track but it’s the style in which they are sung that creates a heady mix, hence drawing a listener towards it all over again.

Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 Music Review: The Last Word

Overall, music of ‘Gangs of Wasseypur – 2’ carries forward the flavor of the first part. However, while there were heady sparks like ‘Hunter’ and ‘Womaniya’ among others in the first album, a similar effect is missing in this one. Though one did appreciate the creativity and unusualness in the first part, things tend to go a little out of hands this time around. Hopefully, that does not turn out to be the case with the film.

Gangs of Wasseypur 2 Movie Stills

Gangs of Wasseypur 2 releases 8th August 2012

Chahey Koi Humra Jungli Kahe – Gangs of Wasseypur

Manoj Bajpayee in a completely new avatar for Gangs of Wasseypur

This is quite low for the film which came with the potential of crossing at least 50 crores at the box office. The film didn’t have much competition either from past and present and the stage was set for this romcom to make moolah. However audience gave a cold shoulder to the film which couldn’t enter its second week with much hopes either. The way ‘Teri Meri Kahaani’ is currently progressing, it would be tough for it to touch even the 30 crores milestones. This would also mean that Shahid would have a film of his collecting less than the likes of not just ‘Kaminey‘ and ‘Mausam‘ but even ‘Badmaash Company‘, his last decent success.

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra In Teri Meri Kahaani, Manoj Bajpayee and Reema Sen in Gangs Of Wasseypur

As for Priyanka, the film’s collections would be lesser than that of ‘Anjaana Anjaani‘, her last film where she had a substantial role to play as a quintessential leading lady. Reason being that even though ‘Don 2‘ and ‘Agneepath‘ crossed 100 crores each, they were primarily Shahrukh and Hrithik starrers. She would be keenly awaiting the release of ‘Barfi’ though where she enjoys yet another author backed role.

On the other hand ‘Gangs of Wasseypur‘ revived to some extent by hanging on well at the box office. Though it’s opening weekend was a mere 10 crores, the collections didn’t fall badly over the weekdays as a result of which this Anurag Kashyap film enjoyed collections to the tune of 17.5 crores as the first week came to a close. Such sustenance at the box office means that the film would now be a coverage affair at the least and also a matter of prestige for the entire team since it would bring Part II with much more gusto. The stage has been set for the film’s sequel and it should do much better.

Meanwhile theatres have shown good confidence in continuing to screen the film in second week as well and given it good space. This Manoj Bajpayee starrer is looking at a life time total of 23-25 crore now which should be decent for the actor who would be enjoying his bigger commercial earner till date.

Gangs of Wasseypur Movie Poster

There have been reports of the film’s screening coming to an abrupt end across the length and breadth of the country.

“Whether it is Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Noida, Pune, Chandigarh – the response is just the same all over”, says a source attached to the film, “It is highly disappointing since it was only with ‘Gangs of Wasseypur – Part I’ that Anurag had decided to launch the First Look of the second part. The promo hasn’t even been released online yet.”

While exhibitors weren’t quite forthcoming in revealing the reason behind the ‘chop’, there is a general feeling that since the film’s original length is over two and a half hours, most multiplexes decided to end the screening prematurely since they had to start the next show soon.

“In that case this was a sheer case of bad programming”, fumes a fan, “Would they have done that if it was a Yash Chopra or a UTV film? This is why one feels for Anurag when he is discriminated against. Even Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Rakht Charitra 2′ promo was showcased at the end of Part I. However now when ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ is finding good appreciation from its target audience, they are being deprived of knowing more about the film.”

The makers are now planning to immediately release the promo of ‘Gangs of Wasseypur Part II’ online so that it attracts maximum eyeballs.

Unfortunately for Shahid, while the first milestone hasn’t been accomplished, what with the film managing a weekend of only around 16 crores, the word of mouth (which has barely hovered around the average mark) hasn’t helped the cause either. As of now, he and Priyanka Chopra would be expecting that at least the collections of their ‘Kaminey‘ (which released three years back and collected around 45 crores) are surpassed. The way film is progressing though, it looks difficult since, as stated last week, ‘The Amazing Spiderman‘ is expected to be the first choice of most cine-goers in week to come.

So what really led to barely 30%-40% opening of ‘Teri Meri Kahaani’, something which is even lesser than 50% which was predicted last week? Well, it is plain and simple – The audience were just not curious enough to find out what the film was all about. Instead of being a ‘let-us-go-check-this-film-out-affair’, this Kunal Kohli directed romantic musical settled down to a point where only very positive word of mouth could have helped it gain momentum. The film was indeed quite good for half of it’s duration but with the second half not up to the point, there was disappointment that set in.

On the other hand even ‘Gangs of Wasseypur‘ failed to find any opening whatsoever. Even in the worst case scenario, one did expect 30%-40% footfalls at least for this Anurag Kashyap directed film since it had seen some good promotion coming its way. However it was clear that ‘junta’ was just not interested which means despite a huge release, the opening day couldn’t even cross the 3 crore mark.

One factor that has still gone in its favour is that the reviews are largely positive while the performances too have been unanimously acclaimed. Moreover, this is the kind of film that grows with word of mouth and since the footfalls did increase over the weekend, there are chances for the film to hang on and earn some moolah. With first weekend collections around 10 crores mark, this is the highest opening that an Anurag Kashyap directed film has taken, hence leaving behind ‘Dev D’ (which by the way was released on a much lesser print count). Same holds good for Manoj Bajpayee for whom this is a solo after years.

Currently it is a wait and watch situation for ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ because though it would be impacted by the ‘Spiderman’ wave, it may just manage to sneak in some shows and show some progress in the weeks to come as well. While the film should cross 20 crore mark, hence leaving behind ‘Paan Singh Tomar‘ which belonged to similar genre, one should remember that the latter had arrived with no publicity.

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra In Teri Meri Kahaani, Manoj Bajpayee and Reema Sen in Gangs Of Wasseypur

Two of the most awaited films of recent times hit the theaters this Friday. However, it seems highly unlikely that either of them are going to do some good business at the Indian box office. While it’s too early to predict the precise predictions, the opening day occupancy gives us a clear picture of what the coming weekend might have in store for the films.

Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur had a pretty dull start with a mere 10-15% average occupancy rate all over the country. A movie, which was much hyped about in recent times, it seems the hype was just not enough. The situation at single screen theaters was worse than that of multiplexes. Compare it to recent releases Shanghai and Ferrari Ki Sawaari and you will know it had one of the worst openings of recent times.

The other release this Friday was Shahid Kappor and Priyanka Chopra‘s Teri Meri Kahaani. Now we know Anurag Kashyap’s flick might not have been for the masses but this is one movie which was sure expected to have a better audience connect than the former. The movie had a better opening day than that of Gangs of Wasseypur but was still way below expectation. Teri Meri Kahaani opened to a low 30-35% average occupancy rate in multiplexes. Now, it seems Shahid is all set to break his last flop Mausam‘s record as even the latter had a 50% opening, which in turn was way better than Teri Meri Kahaani. I really don’t know whose’s Kahaani it is but it sure can be termed as “Shahid ke Flop Ki Kahaani”.

Both the movies will pick up on collections during the weekends but I wonder what are the figures they will be needing to recover the loss of the opening day. It seems highly unlikely that any of these will leave a mark at the Indian box office.

Updates:

So we now have the official figures for the first day collection of both the movies. As predicted Teri Meri Kahaani did more business than that of Gangs of Wasseypur. The first day domestic box office collections for Teri Meri Kahaani stands at 5 crores nett. Considering the face value of the film, the figure, I am sure, is not what the makers were expecting of the film. Mumbai saw the maximum collections with nett 1.82 crores where as Delhi/UP stands at about 1.08 crores. The movie has done pretty badly except for a couple of metros. Multiplex collections were more than that of single screen theaters.

Gangs of Wasseypur on the other hand could only manage a small opening day collection of 2.75 crores. A large chunk of the collection, i.e. approx 70 lacks came from Delhi/UP. Overall, the movie did pretty badly on day one and it is only a magic stroke of luck which can make the movie survive even a week at the Indian box office.

Manoj Bajpayee In Gangs Of Wasseypur Movie Poster

The film is set in the town of Wasseypur. So does the very setting make this film so unique?
Gangs have always been a part of quite a few movies that have been based UP, Bihar, Mumbai or down South. However what I found intriguing about the whole film is that Wasseypur is unique in its own way. All the characters are based on real life human beings who were born and brought up in this town. There is an amazing magical realism about these people which has driven me mad and excited me at the same time.

How exactly?
Well, in this town murder is a way of life. It happens as if it’s a part of everyone’s normal life. When a murder is committed, the world doesn’t topple over; it is treated as if someone is having lunch or you are doing some daily mundane activity. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that people don’t make fuss about it. Then there are other things due to above setting which make the characterisation here far more interesting. To find this characters’ moral streak in the above environment was a big challenge for me.

Please elaborate.
Well, as a protagonist, he has all the shades of a complete character. He loves women, sex, money and has the volatility to murder someone at any given point in time. To make people fall in love with this character seemed like an uphill task and a constant battle, something that I and Anurag fought for. We both wanted it but then it was very challenging to find a focal point to it.

Manoj Bajpayee In Gangs Of Wasseypur Movie Poster

Meanwhile the film also has a very interesting supporting cast in the form of Tigmanshu Dhulia and others. That must have made the film special?
Tigmanshu is fantastic. He is from National School of Drama. He is a trained method actor. He has a history of theatre acting and performances to speak of. It’s a delight to work with such actors as you get to see different techniques of acting. This definitely adds to your experience.

So what do we really see here? A political/gangster/cop drama?
This is a story of one family which kept on fighting against many power centres in their respective times. The story is linear and follows different generations of this family and how each time they fought against the powers. The story begins in 1960 when the world was changing rapidly. I play a part in second generation of this family while my kids carry forward the story as the third generation.

I am sure Anurag Kashyap must have pitched the movie in his own remarkable style.
In today’s time everybody understands that the chemistry between an actor and a director is important. You are cast because the director has trust in you and you would be able to get his vision on screen. An actor has to keep this in mind and completely surrender to a director. These factors are really important.  You work as a team and explore different possibilities everyday, which make the end product better. My working relationship with Anurag has been so comfortable that I was pretty sure we would crack the plot. I am glad that instinct has come true.

Rating: 3/5 stars (Three stars)

Star cast: Jaideep Ahlawat, Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Reemma Sen, Richa Chadda, Huma Qureshi, Piyush Mishra.

What’s Good: The stellar casting and acting; Sneha Khanwalkar’s music; the direction; dialogues.

What’s Bad: The excessive violence; too many characters and a confusing plot; the length of the movie.

Verdict: Gangs Of Wasseypur is a good movie brought down because of the confusing plot and length.

Watch or Not?: Watch it if you have the time, and love those hinterland gangster/mafia movies.

In typical mind boggling Anurag Kashyap style, the movie begins with the opening sequence of the once-famous daily soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. With Bihar, and later Jharkhand, turning out to be a jackpot for coal, the mining mafia hold the area to ransom.

Under the guise of the infamous dacoit Sultana Daku, Shahid Khan (Jaideep Ahlawat) begins looting trains. Shahid gets exiled from the village when the furious Sultana finds out, and Shahid ends up holed up in a coal mine to earn his living. Shahid’s wife dies at childbirth and he is unable to see her in her last moments because of the cruel mafia that refuse to allow workers to leave the mine. While Shahid is later hired by the ruthless mine owner Ramadhir Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia), he also meets his end by his master.

Shahid’s friend Farhan (Piyush Mishra) takes Shahid’s son Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) to safety. Sardar swears to avenge his father’s death, and ends up returning to his home turf and challenges Ramadhir’s authority.

Though Sardar has a fiery wife Najma (Richa Chadda) on one side, he ends up falling for Durga (Reemma Sen). While he tries to give time to both wives, Ramadhir wants to put an end to his rein as well.

How Sardar’s sons Faizal Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and Danish Khan take over forms the rest of the story.

Gangs Of Wasseypur Review: Script Analysis

Akhilesh Jaiswal, Anurag Kashyap, Sachin Ladia and Syed Zeeshan Qadri’s script and screenplay isn’t anything short of epic (in proportion). The film does has many delightful moments like Najma’s painful-angry childbirth, Sardar’s attempts to woo Durga, Faizal’s entry into the trade, Mohsina’s (Huma Qureshi) romance with Faizal and many other parts have been very well written and executed.

However, the plot gets so convoluted and jumbled after a while, that along with Sardar, even you forget the track of vengeance. With so many characters being introduced, it becomes difficult to remember who’s who.

Gangs Of Wasseypur Review: Star Performances

There are two things that GoW gets spot on: the cast and music. Each and every character fits their bill perfectly. Manoj Bajpayee is perfect as Sardar: vengeful, angry, philandering and ruthless. Richa Chadda and Tigmanshu Dhulia are the pick of the lot as Najma and Ramadhir Singh respectively. Tigmanshu’s parts where he gets furious with his son’s stupidity are delightful every time.

Piyush Mishra performs excellently as the friend and mentor Farhan. Reemma Sen is delicious as the seductress Durga. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is fantastic as Faizal. Rest of the cast give very good support.

Gangs Of Wasseypur Review: Direction, Music & Technical Aspects

Anurag Kashyap has gone a little off track here. While the direction is good, the length of the movie makes it tiring. He seems to have got carried away with his little tributes to well known directors. Some sequences (like Danish’s wedding) just seem to stretch needlessly.

Sneha Khanwalkar’s music is top class (Keh Ke Lunga is the baap)! Piyush Mishra and G V Prakash’s contributions have helped a lot. Rajeev Ravi’s cinematography is very good. Wasiq Khan’s production design is excellent. Editing should have been much crisper.

Gangs Of Wasseypur Review: The Last Word

Gangs Of Wasseypur is a very good movie that gets bogged down by the endless characters and length of the movie. If you love those hinterland mafia movies, this is definitely for you.

Gangs Of Wasseypur Trailer

Gangs Of Wasseypur releases on 22 June 2012.

Teri Meri Kahaani and Gangs Of Wasseypur movie posters

However, one does expect Kunal Kohli to deliver, especially after the debacle of Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. That would be known though after the word of mouth sets in once Friday comes to a close. A lot would depend upon how the film sees an escalation over the weekdays since The Amazing Spider-Man arrives the very next week and is likely to invade multiplexes in a big way. So from an expected 50%-60% opening, Teri Meri Kahaani would have to take huge leaps.

Till date, Shahid’s biggest money-spinner is Kaminey which was years ago and couldn’t come close to the Rs. 50 crore mark. In the current scenario when Imran Khan and Emraan Hashmi are registering much bigger numbers, the least Shahid would be hoping for is a Rs. 50 crore runner that would bring him back in the reckoning to fight it out with the other youngsters.

On the other hand Gangs Of Wasseypur has managed to make some decent noise for itself though again it is looking at a niche audience for itself. Though the makers are marketing the film as a commercial pot-boiler, yet again it would have to rely on the word of mouth. A film with similar genre and setting with a much bigger director, Rakht Charitra (Ram Gopal Varma) had released around a couple of years ago and met with a poor response at the box office. Now though Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur is expected to open on a relatively better note, its footfalls would be a little lower than Teri Meri Kahaani.

O Womaniya – Gangs Of Wasseypur

Manoj Bajpayee and Reema Sen In Gangs Of Wasseypur

Gangs Of Wasseypur releases on 22 June 2012.