Thursday, July 26, 2012

Take one of Wasseypur goodfellas

Blackness of coal, vastness of land, rusting scraps of iron, dark and dilapidated buildings, crumpled and strangled machinery of democracy, jeeps and cars traversing muddy roads between quarries or headless crowds of small towns.
Those are the lands of Wassyepur, perfect breeding grounds for “Gangs of Wasseypur”.

Film is more about characters than the story. Those characters are not ordinary denizens of society but are the players of those omnipresent power games in land of abundance and opportunity. Right from Sultana, Shahid and Ramadhir to Faisal, SP and Sultan, everybody is out there to become powerful in his own way, by hook or crook. Revenge is just another excuse of snatching and assuming power.

“Teri Keh Ke Loonga” is not just the promise made by Sardar to himself, but a lifelong ambition of achieving those heights of power where enemy will become so easy to crush.

Again taste of power is not always that sweet or soothing. Fear of loss at that height of power forces Sardar to reconsider his risk taking ways. That excuse of revenge is shadowed first by the love of Bong beauty Durga and later by the union of rivals in love of Danish and Samara.

But next generation of Sultan and Faisal has to fight their own identity crises. That ensures we will see another bout of power games in Wasseypur.

Female characters are down to earth supporting their better halves without questioning morality or ethics. Nagma stands out particularly, experiencing all of it, love, longing, betrayal, temptation and redemption.

Many scenes in the film are memorable. End of Shahid Khan, Ramadhir and Sardar standoff, Faisal crying on Amitabh’s Trishul dialog, Faisal touching the lady love and near death struggle of Sardar.

Finally it’s rustic and exotic appeal of characters, casted to perfection, which makes this lengthy saga worth. Characters of Sardar Khan or Faisal Khan of Wasseypur are definitely eligible for entry in hall of fame of Indian movie legends like Gabbar of Sholay, Rama Shetty of Ardha Satya, Anna of Parinda or more recent Bhiku Mhatre of Satya. Only time will tell…

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