Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s cult film Gangs Of Wasseypur, starring the likes of Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadha and Pankaj Tripathi, among several others, is the only Indian film to feature in ‘The Guardian list of 100 Best Films of the 21st century’ list.
Kashyap took to Instagram on 14 September to share that his action drama had bagged the 59th position. In the post though, the director said that Gangs of Wasseypur wouldn’t be on his list.
“This (Gangs of Wassepur) is also that film of mine that totally destroyed my filmmaking life by the expectations it sets from me as a filmmaker and has been continuously so , and I have forever been trying to break away from it. Hopefully someday that will happen.”Anurag Kashyap
He wrote, “Proud to be here but this wouldn’t be my list. So many films which are my favourites can’t be below my film.. and 'the Dark Knight' deserves to be way up. The number 1 film in the list I totally agree with. That's my absolute favourite of the 21st century.”
“P.S. this is also is that film of mine that totally destroyed my filmmaking life by the expectations it sets from me as a filmmaker and has been continuously so , and I have forever been trying to break away from it. Hopefully someday that will happen,” he added.
Critically acclaimed films as Persepolis, Waltz With Bashir and Capernaum are also on the list.
A two-part film, the first offering of Gangs Of Wasseypur released in 2012, and narrated the story of a coal mafia family in the town of Wasseypur in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.
Both films were loved by the masses for their drama and rawness, and acclaimed by the classes for cinematic aesthetics. The two films were box-office hits.
The gang-war drama featured Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Piyush Mishra and Richa Chadha as part of an ensemble cast.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)