Nishaanchi (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – Twin brothers, identical looks but different values, face brotherhood, betrayal, love, and redemption. Their paths weave through crime into a deeper story of human nature and its results.

My Take – With a career spanning more than two decades, as a writer, director, producer and actor Anurag Kashyap has indulged in a variety of genres, always experimenting with his unique approach to film making. However, he will always be widely recognized for arguably his best work yet – the two-part epic crime saga Gangs of Wasseypur (2012).

And for his latest he takes inspiration from himself and goes back to doing what only he can deliver best: a messy, indulgent, stretched, occasionally frustrating, yet endlessly fascinating Hindi heartland crime-comedy. At nearly three hours, it swings between gripping flashbacks, raw violence, and powerhouse performances. Imperfect but unforgettable, this is filmmaker Anurag Kashyap back in full chaotic glory.

Sure, the film’s duration feels much longer than it should, the first half could have been tighter, and the flashback sequences extend far too long, yet, it pulls you in with raw energy. And aided with some of the wackiest numbers and freshest, peppiest background scores heard in a long time, the narrative keeps you hooked, not only with its unpredictable narrative turns but also through the sheer force of its performances.

There’s a beating heart at the core, layered emotions that give the chaos surprising weight. And while the film may not hold the epic sprawl or generational chronicle of the ‘Wasseypur‘ films, it brims with that same restless, unfiltered storytelling spirit that has long defined him. It is Anurag Kashyap being Anurag Kashyap, and that itself makes this film one of the most unmissable cinematic rides of the year.

Set in 2006 Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the story mainly follows Babloo Nishaanchi (Aaishvary Thackeray) and Dabloo Nishaanchi (Aaishvary Thackeray), twin brothers with starkly contrasting personalities. While Dabloo is timid and simple, Babloo is tough and skilled with guns, a result of which he has spent much of his life behind bars. And when a bank robbery goes wrong, Babloo once again lands behind bars, as his firecracker girlfriend Rangeeli Rinku (Vedika Pinto) and Dabloo somehow manage to escape.

However, their act of crime has long roots to seeds which were planted years ago by a local muscleman Ambika Prasad (Kumud Mishra), who shares a history with the Nishaanchi family. Years ago, the twin’s mother Manjri (Monika Panwar) led a quiet life with her husband Jabardast (Vineet Kumar Singh), an underappreciated wrestler that is until he was introduced to a younger Ambika (Girish Sharma) who manipulated him into whichever direction he pleased.

Even though Manjri could see through his schemes as he leers at her, she only takes up a strong stand against him when Jabardast ends up getting murdered inside prison. Unfortunately for her, following that incident, Babloo begins to look up to Ambika as a father figure, and ends up in his employment, that is until the matter of love enters the picture and complicates everything.

Written by Kashyap, Ranjan Chandel, and Prasoon Mishra, the film is a quintessential masala film. Flashbacks, betrayal, love, revenge, and characters who are at once human and larger than life. You get pulled into the lives of these characters. You root for them, curse them, and wonder what is coming next. The violence is not stylized to look cool, it is raw and unnerving, the humor is dark and biting and the emotions feel lived in, not manufactured. That is the Kashyap trademark, and that is why the film works even when it stumbles.

But what separates it from yet another crime drama is the fact that at its heart, this is not about warring gangs. It is about a rebellious young man standing up to his mentor and boss, driven by nothing more than his love for a woman. Stripped down, it might sound short-handed, but in director Kashyap’s hands, the film becomes sprawling, ambitious, and emotionally layered. Undoubtedly, the film has taken massive inspiration from the ‘Wasseypur‘ films.

From a family history to the killing of a father, the spirit of the epic gangster film looms over the narrative. Ardent fans of can even spot similar locations and dialogue hat-tips. But with the run-time of 176 minutes, this one doesn’t have the narrative firepower. Mainly as director Kashyap has always had this problem of self-indulgence, where he refuses to trim fat from his storytelling and ends feeling bloated at intervals.

Still, the film has enough going for it to make it an amusing watch. And by the time Rinku showers, fiercely throwing the water to wash off the accumulated grime of deception, you’re hooked and excited about what is going to come next.

Performance wise, debutante Aaishvary Thackeray is excellent. He has an eclectic, electric presence and while portraying the younger Dabloo, he knows how to tame himself, just flowing under the surface. It feels natural, unforced, and effortlessness. Add to that the seamless VFX that never lets you doubt the twin setup, and you have a debut worth remembering. Monika Panwar proves yet again why she is one of the most compelling actors of her generation. She exhibits a silent resilience as the strong mother, commanding the screen in every scene.

Vedika Pinto brings her spark to the story, and though her arc stretches longer than necessary in places, she delivers an arresting turn to make you curious for the sequel. Kumud Mishra is his usual dependable as always, his younger version played by Girish Sharma is excellently slimy. In smaller roles, Vineet Kumar Singh is heartbreakingly brilliant, while Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub offers able support. On the whole, ‘Nishaanchi‘ is a sprawling, indulgent, messy yet magnetic crime saga that soars on the strength of its storytelling and its cast.