The label of “epic” gets tossed around quite often, but early next year a certain film will earn the stamp. Gangs of Wasseypur, spanning a story of 70 years across five-plus hours, actually premiered back at Cannes Film Festival in 2012, but nearly three years later, it’ll finally be arriving on U.S. shores. Directed by Anurag Kashyap and presented by Killing Them Softly and Dredd producer Adi Shankar, the first U.S. trailer has landed today.
When we caught it back at TIFF two years ago, we said in our review, “Densely plotted, Gangs is a stunning achievement, whether taken collectively or individually. Over the course of these five hours, we’ve experienced prison escapes, drug-addled sibling rivalries, revenge killings, tense life-or-death meetings, a Sonny-at-the-tollbooth-style esque massacre, lying politicians, “money and debauchery,” and a dash of Bollywood, with a unique use of music and lyrics to comment on the action (“This barter of bloody blows will make you cry”). Director Kashyap has succeeded in creating a gangster drama that feels fresh and realistic – no easy feat. Yes, it is unwieldy, and Part 2 lacks the visceral impact of Part 1. But there’s no doubt that Gangs of Wasseypur is an exhilarating creation, a not-to-be-missed cinematic event, and a work as sprawling, messy, and open-ended as real life.” Check out the intense trailer below.
Manoj Bajpayee (of the Kashyap-scripted gangster epic Satya) throws himself into the role of Sardar Khan, the revenge-driven patriarch wronged by Ramadhir Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia, the renowned director in a rare acting role), a mine owner turned corrupt politician. Shot with the flair of Tarantino and the scope of Scorsese, the digressive but enthralling Gangs of Wasseypur doubles as a chronicle of social and historical tides in 20th-century India. Called “a sprawling, giddy, hyperviolent ride” by Sight & Sound, Kashyap’s opus features plenty of sly humor, including Dhulia’s hilarious anti-Bollywood tirades.
Gangs of Wasseypur opens on January 16th.