Nishaanchi Movie Review: Anurag Kashyap has come back to the turf that his films once occupied: the seedy underbelly of small-town thuggery, wrestlers turned political brokers, corrupt cops, and gangland scores. With Nishaanchi, sometimes referred to as Gangs of Kanpur, Kashyap once again is ensconced in a universe of guns, lust, and betrayal. However, unlike the visceral force of Gangs of Wasseypur (GOW), which raised the bar for the Indian gangster format, Nishaanchi feels like a borrowed idea from the master’s own corpus – sporadically engaging, but otherwise lacking.
The story:
At its heart, the film revolves around identical twin brothers Dabloo and Babloo (both characters played by Aishwary Thackeray) as they endure all the shadowy alleyways of crime, and its demands for existence. The twins’ mother, Manjari (Monika Panwar), takes on the mantle of supporting the family, while their father Jabardast Singh (Vineet Kumar Singh), a bumbling wrestler, does not understand the power dynamic that exists outside the akhada. In a maelstrom of land mafia, gang rivalries, and for increasingly desperate families, the twin brothers diverge into differing paths: Babloo adopts violence as a sharp shooter; whereas Dabloo seeks a non-violent path. Compounding the dilemma is the dynamic surrounding the twins’ mutual love interest Rinku (Vedika Pinto), combined with trips to prison, shootouts, and betrayal, all of which are squeezed into just under three hours.
Highlights:
The film highlights relationships fleetingly rather than gang wars. The most memorable scenes involve Manjari and Jabardast Singh – the actors, Monika Panwar and Vineet Kumar Singh, bring a level of intensity and devotion to their marriage that feels authentic and earthy in a way reminiscent of the director’s own ability to conjure grownup intimacy. There are also occasional connections with the director’s ensemble staging of quirk: the nicknames of gang members (Phlunky, Puraane, Hawa Hawaai), the appearance of a creepy baba with a black tilak. These touches recall the director’s touch, but everything is so thinly scattered that none build energy.
Drawbacks:
Where Nishaanchi falls apart most is in urgency and the sense of place. Whereas Wasseypur’s story was anchored in the socio-historic past of coal mafia and generational engagements, Nishaanchi doesn’t offer an explanation for being in the mid 2000s. The timeline changes and flashbacks felt like window dressing, the land-for-mall subplot was thin, and the extended length of the film only accentuated the shallowness of the sustained narrative. Scenes that should have gone for the throat tended to drag, leaving only weak surface theatrics.
Performances:
Performances are a mixed bag. Aishwary Thackeray, in his double role, is earnest and clearly invested, but struggles to leave a lasting impression in a part that demands far more grit and charisma. Monika Panwar, on the other hand, emerges as the film’s emotional anchor, layering her Manjari with resilience and fire. Vineet Kumar Singh, as the naive wrestler Jabardast, adds depth with his vulnerability. Among the supporting cast, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub lends credibility as a morally ambivalent cop, while Kumud Mishra (in a dual role) offers a grounded presence, though the script underutilizes them.
Technical Aspects:
On the production side, Kashyap’s circle delivers intermittently. The cinematography finds ways to illustrate the dust and grit of Uttar Pradesh while falling short of the visual impact of Rajeev Ravi’s work in Wasseypur. The editing takes a sequence or two that are unnecessarily long, undermining tension rather than tightening in the moment. The score is competent, but it is a far cry from the folk throne of GOW’s memorable sound design.
Verdict:
In the end, Nishaanchi gives off a diluted idea of returning to a genre that Kashyap once vowed to move past. The familiarity is present in the staging of crime and chaos. However, it is lacking the focus, cleverness, and political significance that defined an era with Wasseypur. As part one of an intended two-part film, there is hope that the second part can regain some of that past ferocity. Nishaanchi is an uninspired yet competent film in Kashyap’s catalog. A film that was aiming to land on the gut but only tickles the surface.
