Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur, spanning three generations through the 1940s and 2000s, may draw comparisons to The Godfather, but except its graphic notes of violence, the revenge drama set against the backdrop of the coal mafia is a semi-realistic account of events as they occur according to its writer Syed Zeeshan Qadri.
Considering that its 320 minutes running time, split in two parts, covers the gradual change in outlook and outfit, the flavours of the Northern region, its dialect, attire and body language are keenly exhibited in the taut, well-acted tale of retribution.
What renders it edgier is Kashyap's clever sprinkling of pop culture references at strategic places, which effectively showcase the innate influences of cinema in small-town India.
Dor
Nagesh Kukunoor's tender Dor deals with emerging women power in far-off villages. But what lends it heart is empathy.
Gul Panag plays the fiery Zeenat, the sole provider of her resentful husband's family in his absence. Her real mettle shines through in the face of the ultimate misery -- the threat of losing her husband if she cannot procure a pardon from his victim's young wife Meera (Ayesha Takia).
The journey she undertakes from the lush landscapes of Himachal Pradesh to the barren spaces of Rajasthan not only tests her mettle, but also marks the awakening of the other woman's soul who emerges from a docile, resigned-to-her-fate widow to a ready-to-takeoff free spirit.