Nishaanchi Review: Anurag Kashyap Film Is A Love Letter To Bollywood

Aaishvary Thackeray delivers a breakout performance in a film that is hailed as a chaotic and compelling love letter to classic Bollywood cinema.

September 19, 2025: Anurag Kashyap is back in the gangster drama genre with his new movie, Nishaanchi. It’s a frenetic and wild ode to old Bollywood masala action movies and spaghetti westerns from the 1970s and 1980s. The movie is about three hours long and has earned a lot of different reviews, most of which are favorable. A lot of people have said that it is like Kashyap’s own cult classic, Gangs of Wasseypur.

The movie is set in Kanpur in 2006 and is about twin brothers Babloo and Dabloo. Aaishvary Thackeray plays both roles for the first time. Babloo is a crook who doesn’t care about anything and is smart on the street. Dabloo is his shy and scared twin. Their lives, as well as the life of their love interest Rinku (Vedika Pinto), get tangled up in an intricate plot of family fights, betrayals, and revenge games. A corrupt system and an even more ruthless antagonist, Ambika Prasad (Kumud Mishra), make things much worse.

This film is more than just a recreation of Gangs of Wasseypur; it’s a tribute to the “Bollywood” of a period that has passed. There are a lot of pop culture references in it, such movie titles and discussions, and the music in the background makes it feel archaic. The plot is insane, with a lot of amusing and bizarre things happening because of how people in Kanpur behave and act.

The finest thing about the movie is how well the actors do their jobs. A lot of people are talking about how well Aaishvary Thackeray performs two very distinct roles in his first movie. The actual star of the show is Monika Panwar, who plays Manjari, the twins’ mother. Her character is a powerful feminist who isn’t afraid to take action and fight against the culture that puts men in charge. Vedika Pinto’s performance as Rinku is also very good because it feels so natural and new.

Some people have commented that the movie is too long and moves too slowly, but everyone agrees that Nishaanchi is a fun and entertaining movie to see. The movie illustrates how well Kashyap can handle his material and how excellent he is at creating a genuine, lived-in setting. The movie ends on a cliffhanger, which is part of a greater story dubbed “Part 1.”