Gangs of Wasseypur II: The Rampant Romance of Dubious Shadows and Brutal Bloodshed

Two shadows sit on a raised platform on a moony night under the shady sky of Wasseypur. One of them is too complex to be comprehended in their clam talks. In the beautifully blue frame filled with grey smoke of ganja that he had been smoking right from the beginning of the film, you see nothing happening. The tension grows, the soft background music begins to loud the conflict because you know he was there to kill. In the same frame, beautifully blue and grey, he quietly pulls out a knife, attacks and continues cutting the other shadow into pieces brutally until you sweat.

Oh yes! “Teri keh ke loonga!”

Gentlemen and ladies, say hello to Faisal Khan, our flawed hero who is expected to take the impending revenge of his grandfather and father from Ramadhir Singh. Brilliantly played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, this character redefines “heroism” in Bollywood tragedy. His heroism lies in his subtlety. When he kills brutally, you appreciate his gunshots. When his people get killed, you mourn along with him.

Because you realize “baap ka… dada ka… sabka badla lega, Faisal Khan”.

Well, if you thought so, Anurag Kashyap will make you think again. There are so many other characters playing their games with shadows at different levels. You have to doubt each of them. Most of all, “Definite” who is son of Durga. He will struggle hard to win your trust. Or, take Guddu who is Faisal’s loyal. We have a blade man, “Perpendicular” and his loyal “Tangent”; both aspiring to be goons. They have their own story running parallel with Faisal’s revenge saga. From GoW I, comes Sultan with his own agenda. He cashes upon his links with Ramadhir Singh’s son to take his revenge from Faisal Khan and ends up killing his own sister Sama Praveen who was married to Danish Khan. The MLA son adds the conflict element in GoW II, yet shares his tragic story as he regresses into nobody from somebody. Amidst the high voltage mafia war, we have a very pretty Mohsina to calm things down. All this happens simultaneously when you sit without a seatbelt in the theater! 

Needless to say GoW II is one of rarest examples of a very well written, directed and executed multilayer film in the history of Bollywood cinema. Talking of rarity, lets not forget the intriguing background score and simply outstanding music. Most of the times, the background music plays against the mood of the scene creating a brilliant conflict leading to a surprise after the end of each cut. And before you are able to collect yourself back, it punches you back into your seat! You feel deceived. Again, the tension grows within a sophisticated cinematography of blood and war. You see them killing each other, yet the director successfully brings in light moments throughout the film. But each comic moment ends in tension. Extra marks to the director here! We were totally clueless about our own emotions at the end.

While exiting the theater in complete awe, it became difficult to realize that it wasn’t Dhanbad outside!