Anurag Kashyap's intense crime drama 'Nishaanchi' set for Sep 19 premiere
Mumbai, June 17 (UNI) "Nishaanchi", a brooding crime drama directed by Anurag Kashyap, is set to premiere in cinemas on September 19.
Kashyap disclosed that the script for the film was written in 2016. Since then, he has been looking to make the film "the way it should be", and was looking for a studio which would trust him to do that.
"Amazon MGM loved it, believed in it, and became the wall behind us. This is exactly what happened with all my films that people love – they were backed by great producers and great studios," he said.
At the heart of the narrative lie two brothers whose divergent paths expose them to the raw edges of love, betrayal, guilt and survival.
'Nishaanchi' is a story full of raw human emotions, love, lust, power, crime and punishment, betrayal, redemption and the consequences of it all. I have been extremely fortunate to find a bunch of good people and superb actors and my most beautiful crew to tell this story in the best possible way that I would have wanted," said Kashyap.
Produced under the banner of Jar Pictures in association with Flip Films, the film is backed by by Ajay Rai and Ranjan Singh.
Aishwarya Thackeray has entered the world of acting with the film "Nishaanchi", in which she is accompanied by Vedika Pinto, Monica Panwar, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub and Kumud Mishra in the lead roles. UNI NST SSP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Anurag Kashyap's ‘Kennedy' impresses at NYIFF, fuels call for Indian theatrical release
Anurag Kashyap's Kennedy continues its strong run on the festival circuit, drawing a standing ovation and sold-out screenings at the 2025 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF). The neo-noir thriller, headlined by Rahul Bhat, has been steadily building momentum since its Cannes premiere, where it received a nine-minute ovation. At NYIFF, the film's first screening sold out in just 40 seconds, prompting organisers to add another show. Bhat, who plays the titular role of a sleepless ex-cop operating within a corrupt system, has been nominated for Best Actor. 'I'm truly honoured to be nominated for Best Actor at NYIFF,' he said. 'The love Kennedy has received across the world is incredibly humbling.' Kashyap is also in the running for Best Director. The film, produced by Ranjan Singh and Kabir Ahuja under Good Bad Films and Zee Studios, features Sunny Leone in a supporting role alongside Mohit Takalkar, Abhilash Thapliyal, Megha Burman, Karishma Modi, and Jeniffer Piccinato. Following the NYIFF screening, Kashyap and Bhat participated in a Q&A session where audience members praised the film's storytelling, music, and performances. One viewer called it 'a masterpiece in Hindi cinema' and questioned why it hasn't seen a theatrical release in India. Despite its international acclaim, Kennedy remains unreleased in Indian cinemas, which has been a point of frustration for many fans. With growing demand on social media and at festival screenings, the pressure is mounting for a domestic release.
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- 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.
United News of India
3 days ago
- United News of India
‘ABCD2': When Varun Dhawan got real
Mumbai, June 19 (UNI) In veteran choreographer Remo D'Souza's 'ABCD2' which turns 10 today, Varun Dhawan played a character called Suresh who is based on a real person called Suresh, a dancer who lives in Nala Sopara. Interestingly, the real Suresh also has a role in the Remo D'Souza directed film. The story is based on the lives of four boys who are part of a dance institute called Fictitious Dance Academy. Recalling the film, Remo said 'I thought I had exhausted my appetite for dance films when I made 'ABCD'. But then I came across the real-life story of these boys from Nala Sopara who went all the way to Las Vegas and won a dance show there. I knew I had to tell their story. So, these four boys Pavan, Rohit, Vernon and Suresh are part of the story and yes, Varun plays Suresh.' According to Remo, Varun's dancing skills made him a prime choice for the film. 'I needed someone who could dance, and I mean really dance. I also needed a very good actor since the character's journey is not only about dancing but also his aspirations and dreams. 'Varun is both a dancer and an actor. I am convinced he will bring Suresh to life. He better do it right, since the real Suresh is also in the film,' he said. The film owes its resplendent aura to the way the characters move to the rhythm of life. Dance is not simply an art or a way of life. It's a life-long commitment to excellence. This is something which Remo's film understood, and was able capture the passion, sweat, tears and even the blood, that goes into making dance reality shows a reality. To their credit neither Varun nor Shraddha Kapoor attempt to seem larger than the script. What we get are acres of competitive acrimony, the heartache of winning and losing in full camera view and the agony of knowing that those four minutes on the stage can make or break your life, and the ecstasy of winning against all odds. Such are the dreams that navigate Remo's airy plots to its heart-in-the-foot climactic dance. But it is Remo's choreography, which is the real star of the show. 'ABCD 2' is a far slicker, and sexier avatar of its 2013 predecessor, and it is filled with moments where the very force of life is expressed and asserted through dance. When the film's fallen hero, caught duplicating international dance moves, retreats to dance alone to a beat that fastens him to his dead mother's heartbeat, you are truly in for a treat. (The writer is a veteran film journalist. The views expressed are personal) UNI XC ANV RN
