Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1 · reception & legacy
2012 · Anurag Kashyap
How Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1 has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
Only a modest theatrical performer in India in 2012 and too profane for some at home, it snowballed via word of mouth into a certified cult epic — by 2019 The Guardian was ranking it among the best films of the 21st century, and it's now the default 'start here' for Indian cinema recs.
What's debated
Fans endlessly argue whether Part 1 or Part 2 is the stronger half — and whether it should be logged as one five-hour film or two at all.
Its footprint
Sardar Khan's revenge vow 'keh ke lunga' became one of Indian internet culture's most durable memes, and Sneha Khanwalkar's soundtrack ('Womaniya', 'Hunter') has a cult life entirely of its own.
Where it stands
A canon-climbing cult classic that sits near the top of Letterboxd's Indian-cinema pantheon — the Hindi film international cinephiles are most often told they must have seen.