While Indian films are rather popular in my country, for me it had been awhile since I last watched one. The song and dance routine is just not my cup of tea, unfortunately.
But recently I managed to watch Gangs of Wasseypur, and goodness, what a breath of fresh air the movie (or rather, movies) is.
The crime/gangster flick follows three crime families in the neighbourhood of Wasseypur, in the Indian city of Dhanbad over decades, as they clash for dominance and control over the production of coal.
Even before watching it, you get the idea just how ballsy it is by looking at the duration. The whole thing runs for five hours and twenty minutes, and it is actually split into two parts; parts one and two. Indian cinemas reportedly had been reluctant to show movies with such a long running time, so director Anurag Kashyap had to compromise by splitting his film into two. When I watched it, I was feeling rather adventurous and did it in one sitting all through the night.
What makes the movie memorable is just how high-octane everything is, from the editing, the performances, as well as the music. Jaideep Ahlawat, Manoj Bajpai and Nawazuddin Siddiqui are Indian stars whom I unfortunately am not familiar with, but they each chew the scenery as successive patriarchs of the Khan family. The supporting cast too pull in their weight in their energetic turns, decorating the Wasseypur of the movie with eclectic side characters. (There are characters literally named Perpendicular, Definite and Tangent in this film.)
The combination of the script and the characters that carry the movie also reminds us of Quentin Tarantino's films, especially one particular exchange between Khan family goons, on the digestion of one of their would-be victims.
With songs and dance a major part of popular Indian movies, Kashyap's movie also incorporated them, but the way it is done ensures that they do not distract from the story, for the most part. The songs are all featured as being performed during events (weddings, political rallies) that are attended by the characters or as part of montages, and this method aids the suspension of disbelief of viewers like me. And to their credit, the soundtrack is equally energetic and eclectic, and I can't help but hum some of the tunes for weeks after watching the movie. Just listen to this particular song and try to deny how catchy it is!
My VERDICT: The performances, combined with the snappy dialogue and editing as well as the lively soundtrack, made the five hours fly for me. 8/10
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