Anurag Kashyap’s cult classic Gangs of Wasseypur remains one of his finest works to date. Nawazuddin Siddiqui was praised by cinema lovers for his performance, and there is no denying that every scene in the film left the audience spellbound. However, very few know that when Nawaz first saw the rough cut of the film, his first reaction was, “Yeh kya bana diya hai yaar”. Later, after watching the complete film at the Cannes Film Festival, he said “Then I realised Anurag is like this Anurag”.
When asked in an ANI podcast if he realised they were making something special while working on Gangs of Wasseypur, Siddiqui replied that he did not. He explained that it is impossible to predict the outcome during the filmmaking process and admitted that he was not sure even after completing it. After watching the first cut, he thought, “Yeh kya bana diya yaar?” However, he did not realise Anurag Kashyap’s talent until he saw the final version at Cannes and said, “Then I realised Anurag ne kuch toh kiya hai, aise hi thode Anurag, Anurag hai”.
Siddiqui praised Kashyap, calling him a genius who transformed Indian cinema and achieved global recognition, while not being fully appreciated in his own country. Gangs of Wasseypur premiered in the Directors Fortnight category at the 2012 edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
Along with Nawazuddin, the film stars Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, Richa Chadha, Huma Qureshi and Tigmanshu Dhulia.
The two-part Gangs of Wasseypur series tells the story of a coal mafia family in the town of Wasseypur in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand. Both films were well received by audiences for their intense drama and serious storytelling, while critics praised the cinematic artistry.
On the professional front, the Lunchbox actor will be next seen in Adbhut, which also stars Diana Penty, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Rohan Mehra. The film is produced by Sony Pictures International Productions and Sabbir Khan Films, and it promises to delve into a world where the supernatural meets reality.
Nawazuddin has several upcoming projects after Adbhut. He will star in Oil Kumar, a film inspired by the life of ganglord Benkanahalli Alappa Sivakumar. Apart from this, his upcoming films include Noorani Chehra and Sangeen.
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