How does one even begin to describe Anurag Kashyap’s incredible crime epic that spans three generations of a gangster family in the Eastern state of Bihar. The film essentially charts the feud between two rival families, as the children of the Khan family battle to avenge the death of their patriarch by a rival gangster with powerful political connections. As the decades pass by, more family members and their loyal footsoldiers meet increasingly bloody ends, until the fate of the family falls at the feet of reluctant, drug-adled Faizal – who, much like Michael Corleone in The Godfather (a film that Gangs openly and lovingly references many times) proves to be the most ruthless villain of them all.
From its stunning locations to its sumptuous photography, great performances and incredible soundtrack, I cannot stress how fantastic this five-and-a-half hour epic is. I saw it screened in two halves, but playing back to back over a single afternoon. Part one goes to great lengths to carefully lay down the interweaving relationships and characters, the individual rivalries, motives and machinations, and ends on a superbly explosive note that will have audiences desperate to jump right into part two. It is here where the action really ramps up a gear and we see Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Faizal take centre stage. The result is a vibrant, colourful and energetic epic of crime fiction that deserves to rank among the very best in world cinema.
