Latest news with #AnuragKashyap
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Gazette
Indian Cinema on the World Stage: NYIFF Celebrates 25 Years of Cultural Power
GTF Technologies New Delhi [India], June 26: The 2025 edition of the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) marked a landmark celebration of Indian cinema's growing global relevance. As the oldest and longest-running festival for Indian independent films in North America, NYIFF's 25th year brought together a striking showcase of 22 feature-length films, including narratives and documentaries, along with a diverse lineup of shorts in multiple Indian languages. This year's programming demonstrated not only the creative vitality of Indian storytellers but also their increasing command over global cinematic language. Films from across the subcontinent and diaspora reflected a bold, honest, and deeply human spectrum of voices--each film rooted in its context, yet resonating far beyond it. Celebrating Cinematic Brilliance: Kennedy & I'm Not An Actor Among the highlights was Anurag Kashyap's neo-noir thriller Kennedy, starring Rahul Bhat. The film's gritty narrative and Bhat's raw, magnetic performance offered a powerful commentary on morality and alienation. Bhat, in particular, has emerged as one of the most promising faces of contemporary Indian cinema--a name now gaining traction beyond Indian screens. Rakesh Kul Address to Actor Rahul bhat and said you Act like the Great Rabart Da nero and done a outstanding job Also in focus was Aditya Kripalani's I'm Not An Actor, which featured a masterclass performance by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, earning him the Best Actor award at NYIFF. Deeply influenced by European art cinema, Siddiqui's portrayal brought a vulnerable honesty to the screen that captivated audiences and critics alike. In a heartfelt moment at the festival, Kaifi Bharti, Founder of Heights Group, shared: 'It's amazing to be here and witness how far Indian cinema has come on the global stage. NYIFF is more than a festival--it's a celebration of our stories, our struggles, and our triumphs. The world is not just watching--they're engaging with Indian narratives like never before.' Bharti's presence highlighted the growing synergy between creative entrepreneurship and cultural storytelling within India's global media landscape. He also applauded the standout performances and direction that defined this year's festival. Speaking of Kennedy, Bharti noted the intensity and emotional depth brought forth by Rahul Bhat, calling it 'one of the most searing performances to emerge from Indian cinema this year.' He further praised Anurag Kashyap's fearless storytelling, stating that 'Kashyap's writing and direction once again push boundaries--layered, provocative, and uncompromisingly bold.' Equally, he lauded Nawazuddin Siddiqui's transformative portrayal in I'm Not An Actor, emphasizing how 'Nawaz delivers a performance that's quietly devastating--he doesn't act; he dissolves into the role. It's art in its purest form.' Bharti concluded by reaffirming that these cinematic moments are not outliers, but part of a larger movement: one where Indian cinema is no longer content with being applauded--it's ready to lead. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by GTF Technologies. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Mint
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
'Hazraat, Hazraat, Hazraat!' Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee remember Gangs of Wasseypur as the film clocks 13 years
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 23 (ANI): The much-loved crime drama 'Gangs of Wasseypur' turned 13 on Sunday, June 22. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the two-part film was released in 2012 and quickly became a cult hit. With its sharp dialogues and powerful performances, it changed the face of Indian cinema. As the film clocked 13 years, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who rose to fame with his role in the film, took to Instagram to share a special picture with director Anurag Kashyap. The photo shows the two standing near a tree. Nawazuddin stands quietly while Kashyap is seen smoking a cigarette. "Celebrating 13 years of Gangs Of Wasseypur," Nawazuddin wrote in the caption. The post caught the attention of fans who dropped their reactions in the comment section. One fan wrote, "Unbeatable combo. Ek aur jalwa dikhao." Another commented, "Adha ciggerate ke liye intejar karta hua nawaj vai." "Lagta hai kuch bada aane wala hai. Tabahi I mean Gangs of Wasseypur 3," wrote a third user. Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who played Sardar Khan in the film, also marked the day with a heartfelt post. He wrote, "Hazraat, Hazraat, Hazraat! 13 years ago, Wasseypur redefined Indian cinema. A saga of coal, crime, and cult dialogues that still echo across screens and streets. More than a project, this became a moment in history, one that shaped Indian cult cinema forever." Gangs of Wasseypur was released in two parts -- the first on June 22 and the second on August 8, 2012. The story covered nearly seven decades, from 1941 to 2009, focusing on coal mafias, crime families, and the endless fights for power in Dhanbad. Besides winning hearts and earning critical praise, both parts of the film turned into box office successes. Today, 'Gangs of Wasseypur' continues to enjoy a huge fan base, with many calling it one of the best Indian films ever made. (ANI)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New York Indian Film Festival Highlights Include Shyam Benegal and James Ivory Tributes: What to See
The 25th anniversary edition of the New York Indian Film Festival — one of the nation's leading showcases of independent Indian cinema — unspools at New York's Angelika through Sunday, June 22. Officially opening Friday, June 20 with Raam Reddy's 2024 Berlinale selection 'The Fable,' the festival includes Anurag Kashyap's intense Hindi-language thriller 'Kennedy' as the Centerpiece on June 21. Kashyap will also host a master class on the challenges facing Bollywood and the future of independent cinema in India. More from IndieWire Apple TV+ Signs First-Look Film Deal with North Road's Chernin Entertainment 'You Kind of Have to Fight for More Room': Melissa Barrera Says Diverse Casting Has Net Effect on Productions There's also a tribute to late, great Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal, with a 4K restoration of his 1976 landmark 'Manthan,' about India's White Revolution and revived by the Film Heritage Foundation. As part of a program of films honoring master storytellers, the New York Indian Film Festival will also screen Dev Benegal's 2024 short for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 'An Arrested Moment.' The film explores Oscar-winning director James Ivory's fascination with Indian art and culture. Ivory established Merchant-Ivory with his creative and personal partner Ismail Merchant, the Indian film producer who died in 2005. Early indie films made out of India from the director/producer pair include 'The Householder,' 'Shakespeare Wallah,' and 'Bombay Talkie' before they transitioned famously to adapting classic, canonical English-language novels. 'An Arrested Moment' plays June 22 with Taira Malaney's documentary 'Turtle Walker,' which explores the population of enigmatic sea turtles living along the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This year's New York Indian Film Festival actually kicked off on Thursday, June 19 with the North American premiere of 'Tanvi the Great,' which marks Anupam Kher's first directing effort in two decades; the political and personal epic, about a young woman confronting her father's military legacy, premiered at the Cannes Market earlier this year. Kher has worked as a lauded actor on Indian productions since the early 1980s, best known for his onscreen performances and acting school (he previously directed 2002's 'Om Jai Jagadish'). Robert De Niro surprised Kher with an appearance at the Angelika screening. Kaushal Oza's directorial debut, the coming-of-age film 'Little Thomas,' closes the festival, and it follows an only child in 1990s Goa trying to help his parents give him a baby brother. Other highlights include Aditya Kriplani's fiction-and-reality-blurring fame critique 'I'm Not an Actor' with 'Sacred Games' star Nawazuddin Siddiqui; an LGBTQ double feature for Pride Month' with the gay romance 'Riptide' followed by the short 'IYKYK'; Nikhil Mahajan's climate change tale 'The Tiger,' about the struggle between human and tigers in a remote village; and much more. See the full schedule and buy tickets via New York Indian Film Festival's official website here. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
13 years of Gangs of Wasseypur: Meet the gangster films that ran so Anurag Kashyap's film could kill
Recalibrating filmmakers' approaches to violence, language, and storytelling grounded in real India, Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) did more than just revolutionise the Indian gangster cinema. Coal mafia politics and generational vengeance were just two of the themes explored in the film, which gave rise to a new genre of crime dramas that were grounded in reality but unabashedly violent. A still from Gangs of Wasseypur Dive into the wild, intense, and genre-bending world of Anurag Kashyap with No Smoking, Raman Raghav 2.0, Mukkabaaz, and Manmarziyaan—now streaming on OTTplay Premium. In honour of the film's 13th anniversary, we take a look back at five seminal Indian crime dramas that were either inspiration for or served as a precursor to 'Gangs of Wasseypur' Gangster films if you like Gangs of Wasseypur Satya Satya chronicled the criminal underworld of Mumbai in the late 1990s, long before Gangs of Wasseypur introduced gang warfare to Dhanbad. The story of a good guy who becomes entangled in the city's criminal syndicate is told in Satya by Anurag Kashyap and written by Saurabh Shukla. Kashyap would refine his style a decade later, but this film laid the groundwork for it with its groundbreaking realism, unemotional depiction of criminals, and terrifying brutality. The iconic cult hero Bhiku Mhatre, played by Manoj Bajpayee, became the archetype of the complex and erratic gangster seen in independent and over-the-top films today. A pioneer of the "Mumbai Noir" subgenre, Satya introduced hauntingly complex anti-heroes with moral ambiguity to Indian audiences. Shiva While Satya depicted a realistic crime drama, Shiva told the backstory of the enraged youth who confronted systemic corruption. Urban violence, the political-criminal nexus, and the rise of the reluctant gangster were exposed to a generation through the film, which was based on a college campus taken over by gang politics. With fluid camerawork, primal action, and a terrifying Ilaiyaraaja music that highlighted the mounting tension, Ram Gopal Varma introduced a new cinematic grammar to Bollywood with his Hindi version of his own Telugu debut. Shiva, with its famous cycle-chain sequence and gloomy protagonist (Nagarjuna), set the standard for stylised anger and defiance in Indian cinema. As a cult classic, Shiva introduced stylised but realistic gangsterism in Indian cinema, which is driven by social deterioration. Company Company focused on the D-Company, which was loosely based on Dawood Ibrahim and his syndicate, while Gangs of Wasseypur dealt with coal mafia families. The film takes a close look at a multinational crime organisation, revealing its inner workings, goals, and conflicts. Company is one of the most accomplished Indian gangster films ever filmed thanks to Ajay Devgn's chilly portrayal as Malik (read: Dawood), Vivek Oberoi's spectacular debut as his protégé Chandu, and Varma's matter-of-fact storytelling. Company was a global gangster film that echoed Satya in spirit while combining grim reality with geopolitical conflict. D-Day D-Day delves into the realm of espionage, but it remains deeply rooted in mobster legend at its heart. An obvious reference to Dawood Ibrahim is Rishi Kapoor's portrayal of Goldman. To rescue him from Pakistan, the film depicts an undercover Indian operation. The emotional storylines, particularly those of Irrfan and Huma Qureshi, mirror the personal cost shown in Gangs of Wasseypur, yet it incorporates thriller elements. Instead of praising gangsterism, the film depicts the devastation it causes. Among political action-thrillers, D-Day stands out for its unusual use of the gangster genre to explore themes of betrayal, loyalty, and moral grey areas. Khalnayak Years before Gangs of Wasseypur introduced us to Faizal Khan as the multi-layered antihero, Khalnayak introduced us to Ballu, a menacing criminal who questioned Bollywood's simplistic morality. Playing the role of bandit Ballu—who gets out of jail and becomes the subject of a nationwide manhunt—Sanjay Dutt was unnerving and somehow sympathetic. While Satya and Shiva were grounded in harsh realism, Khalnayak painted a more nuanced picture of crime, childhood trauma, and society's failure through the medium of mainstream Bollywood, featuring songs like Choli Ke Peeche. It was Ballu's decision to become a villain that defined him. An important facet that Gangs of Wasseypur would develop with even darker tones was the film's blurring of hero and villain lines, which it laid the groundwork for in Indian cinema. They are a filmy family tree that begins in the coal-soaked alleys of Wasseypur and continues into the neon-lit crime world of Mumbai. Their joint work has documented the unfiltered, savage, and raw side of India. Even though it has been 13 years since Gangs of Wasseypur came out, the film still stands tall on the shoulders of these groundbreaking works of Hindi cinema history.
Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Alappuzha Gymkhana: Bollywood directors keep talking about ‘rooted cinema', but they have no idea what it even means
In recent years, several Bollywood big-shots with varying degrees of wealth and intelligence have said that South Indian movies are performing better than their Hindi counterparts because they're more 'rooted'. The word has become a part of the lexicon, alongside terms such as 'elevation scene' and 'BGM'. Anurag Kashyap has said it; Javed Akhtar has said it; if they'd asked the women, they'd have said it as well. But what does the word 'rooted' even mean? The one movie that perfectly captures all the ingredients that are missing from Hindi cinema these days, the one movie that Bollywood would do well to emulate, is the Malayalam-language sports comedy Alappuzha Gymkhana, which debuted recently on SonyLIV after an excellent theatrical run. It's as rooted as they come. But the definition of this kind of cinema could vary. While Kashyap thinks that 'rooted' cinema refers to stories of the heartland, Akhtar has complained that Hindi filmmakers are losing touch with the language. He forgets that his own children write in English and have their scripts translated. For most Bollywood producers, 'rooted' is merely a code word for a very specific kind of big-budget movie; the chauvinistic and bombastic sort of cinema popularised by the Telugu industry and bastardised by the north. Also read – Chhaava: Vicky Kaushal's worrisome streak hits an all-time low; who'll take responsibility for inciting violence? Were something like Alappuzha Gymkhana pitched in Bollywood, it would be laughed out of the room. It has no major stars, it has neither scale nor stakes, and most surprisingly (for a sports movie), it has no villain. Directed by Khalid Rehman, Alappuzha Gymkhana is a hang-out movie, where the characters dictate which direction the plot should go in, and not the other way around. It follows a group of teenage boys in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, who concoct the kind of plan that only teenagers staring at an uncertain future can. After flunking their class 12 boards, they decide to enrol at the local sports club and become boxers. This way, they figure, they could probably get into a college through the sports quota. At the same time, they could impress all the girls they have crushes on, get away from their nagging parents for several hours a day, and have a new excuse to chill out with each other. Led by Jojo, the boys aren't defending the world; they're defending their pride. Forget delivering 'larger-than-life' action and spectacle, Alappuzha Gymkhana barely leaves its district. It goes against all the rules that Bollywood has convinced itself it must follow in the post-pandemic era. And this isn't the first time that the Malayalam industry has proven that smaller stories have just as much of a chance at the box office than those hyper-masculine revenge epics that Hindi filmmakers have devoted themselves to aping. Speaking of hyper-masculine cinema, there's a scene in Alappuzha Gymkhana in which Jojo invites his buddies for a house party. He takes the girl he's been talking to up to the bedroom, where she throws him off balance by asking what kind of kiss he'd prefer they get things started with. After panicking for a second, he tells her that he's too nervous to make out, and promptly gets dumped. If this was Rocky Bhai, he'd have physically restrained the girl from leaving the room despite her protests. In case you'd forgotten, this is exactly what happens in the first KGF movie. The blockbuster Kannada film has proven to be incredibly influential, paving the way for a new wave of angry cinema in which everybody shouts at each other. Just because their protagonists hail from villages doesn't make stuff like Kantara and Pushpa 'rooted'. Naslen, who plays Jojo in Alappuzha Gymkhana, broke out with the similarly lowkey Premalu last year. But when Bollywood tries to make small scale films these days, they typically end up being inauthentic farces. Even when they're competently made, like the film Laapataa Ladies, they tend to have a condescending gaze. Heck, Hindi filmmakers can't even be bothered to go shoot in real-life locations, because the people making them have no idea what separates one culture from the other. It's some strange form of reverse racism, where the entirety of the 'north' is presented as a place populated by Thar-driving, pakoda-popping loudmouths. The films Jayeshbhai Jordaar and The Great Indian Family — both were headlined by A-list movie stars and produced by YRF — were shot entirely on indistinguishable soundstages. Read more – Chandu Champion: Kabir Khan's hollow biopic can't stop humiliating its own protagonist The thing that really stands out in Alappuzha Gymkhana, besides the cultural specificity, is how tactile it all seems. Although most of the second half is set inside a stadium and filmed with the sort of music video-style flashiness that Rehman displayed in Thallumala a couple of years ago, the first half unfolds on the streets of Alleppey. It gives the movie character; you can see the post-rain dampness on the narrow lanes, and the paint chipping off the walls of old homes. Jojo and his gang feel like real people, experiencing real growing-pains. They aren't invulnerable superheroes bashing up their enemies. In fact, the inciting incident of the film — the moment that pushes Jojo to enrol at the gymkhana — is when one member of the gang gets sucker punched for flirting with another guy's girlfriend. Rahman's Thallumala kicked off on a similar note, when someone stepped on the protagonist's brand-new sneakers. Malayalam cinema seems to have cracked the code. Even when they make a big-budget superhero movie Minnal Murali, it feels intimate. In Alappuzha Gymkhana, Jojo and his friends' inadequacies manifest during the boxing competition that takes up much of the film's second half. It wouldn't be a spoiler to reveal that Jojo doesn't magically become a heavyweight champion at the end. But he scores something far more valuable: a purpose. A road that could've led him towards drunkenness and despair is, hopefully, avoided. Jojo and his buddies could've very easily turned into Pepe and his gang from Angamaly Diaries, but it seems like they'll turn into the Manjummel Boys instead. Hallelujah. Post Credits Scene is a column in which we dissect new releases every week, with particular focus on context, craft, and characters. Because there's always something to fixate about once the dust has settled. Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More
