Gangs of Wasseypur

With this two-part drama, screened at Cannes and Sundance, Kashyap consolidated his A-list reputation. In this three-generation revenge epic set amid the coal mafia of Jharkhand state in North India, Kashyap takes inspiration from The Godfather, then makes it entirely his own film, addressing Indian post-colonial, socio-political issues from 1941 to 2009. With a backdrop of superb music and sly digs at Bollywood, the focus here is merciless, coal gang warfare. The cinematography powerfully captures the mine-scarred landscape and the atmosphere of the populous city, and helps generate the plot’s rapid-fire tempo. Coal bandit Shahid Khan is caught and exiled from the region. Later he works in kingpin Ramadhir Singh’s colliery in Wasseypur, but Ramadhir sees him as a threat and murders him, triggering a feud between the Khans and Qureshis. Shahid’s son Sardar vows to avenge his father. Eliminating Ramadhir and becoming the most dreaded man in Wasseypur are now his reason for living. In part two, Shahid Khan’s grandson Faizal, an inveterate pot smoker, takes the lead. While his younger brothers vie for power, he is initially reluctant to inherit the mantle of revenge. But when Faizal finally becomes the don of Wasseypur, he awakens to the old feud, and his only ambition is to annihilate Ramadhir Singh. Wasseypur is now held hostage not only to former clan rivalry, but to much else besides. Their greed has spawned a new generation of opportunists, and the whole town is caught up in the vortex of chicanery and revenge. The film examines a microcosm of post-independent India, infested with mercenary gangs, corrupt government officials, and worse.