The Next Reel Film Podcast
Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2
Andy and Pete close out the Gangs of Wasseypur series with Anurag Kashyap’s 2012 conclusion, tracking Faisal’s rise and a mafia’s real decline.
February 2, 2023
Gangs of Wasseypur is Anurag Kashyap’s sprawling two-part crime epic, split into two films only because no distributor would take on a five-hour movie. Set across decades of a real coal-mafia conflict in Dhanbad, India, it follows one family’s rise and a vendetta that spans generations. Andy and Pete cover both halves as one continuous story.
Andy and Pete close out the Gangs of Wasseypur series with Anurag Kashyap’s 2012 conclusion, tracking Faisal’s rise and a mafia’s real decline.
Andy and Pete open the Gangs of Wasseypur series with Anurag Kashyap’s sprawling Indian gangster epic, rooted in real coal-mafia history from Dhanbad.
The Next Reel's Gangs of Wasseypur series began as one film. Anurag Kashyap shot roughly five hours of continuous story. No Indian distributor would screen something that long, so it was split into two theatrical releases: Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1 (2012) and Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2 (2012). Andy and Pete cover both halves as a single continuous story rather than as film and sequel.
The story is loosely based on real coal-mafia conflicts in Dhanbad, India, spanning the 1940s through the 2000s. Part 1 follows Sardar Khan's vendetta against the corrupt politician who had his father killed. Part 2 picks up immediately after, following Sardar's son Faisal Khan as he transforms from someone adrift and drug-dependent into the head of the family's criminal empire. Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Richa Chadha, Reema Sen, and Tigmanshu Dhulia anchor an ensemble that spans three generations.
Across both films, director Anurag Kashyap works in open conversation with Scorsese, Coppola, and De Palma. However, the Gangs of Wasseypur series stays rooted in something distinctly its own: a specific place, a specific history, and a family that keeps finding new lines to cross. That grounding is what makes the series worth sitting with as one continuous story instead of a film and a follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What order should I watch the Gangs of Wasseypur series in?
Start with Part 1 and follow it directly with Part 2. Because the film was shot as one continuous story and split only for distribution, the two halves are meant to be watched in sequence rather than treated as separate entries.
Is the Gangs of Wasseypur podcast series based on a true story?
Yes. The Gangs of Wasseypur podcast series draws on real coal-mafia conflicts in Dhanbad, India, spanning decades of shifting political and criminal power. Pete and Andy talk through this history in both episodes.
How long is the Gangs of Wasseypur series?
The two films were originally shot as one continuous feature running roughly five hours. Once split for release, each part runs a little over two and a half hours on its own.
Do I need to watch both parts to understand the story?
Yes. Part 1 sets up the family conflict and ends on a turning point that Part 2 picks up immediately. Together, the two films tell a single story split in half, not a film and a self-contained sequel.
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Related Listening
If the Gangs of Wasseypur series brought you here, two more gangster epics are worth your time. The Godfather Part III and Scarface are comparisons this series keeps circling back to. Or try Sholay and Cinema Scope's India's Angry Young Man episode for more Indian cinema.