-Brian Mendonca
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) is a gangster movie in two parts featuring generations of gangsters and how they fight for control of portions of Bihar. I decided to watch it because I came across a song sung by Sharda Sinha, a classical singer, in it.
The lead characters Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) and Faizal Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who plays his son, are outstanding in their performances. The end is a stunner and keeps the pace of the film.
The coal mafia in Dhanbad is the backdrop of the action. The movie in Part I begins as a documentary and provides the state of affairs in Bihar after the British left. It catalogues the carving of Jharkhand and how everyone wanted a share of the spoils.
The songs lend to the cultural anchoring of the movie. The song 'Tar bijle se patle hamara piya' of the bride-to-be complaining to the mother-in law about how thin her son is well done and includes most of the cast.
Watching it on Netflix was enjoyable. Spaced over a couple of days the two parts were seen one after another. At the dramatic end of the first part you want to know what will happen after that.
The darkened landscapes bring a hint of menace in the film.
The relationship of Siddiqui who towers over all in the second part with his wife Mohsina (Humra Qureshi) is poignant. It is through the conversations with her that we come to know the inner landscape of his mind.
The violence at the end may be overdone. But Siddiqui's mind is already unhinged with hate. It is perhaps why he appears resigned to what is coming - even though his wife is expecting their first child.
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