Film: Nishaanchi

Cast: Aaishvary Thackeray, Vedika Pinto, Monika Panwar, Vineet Kumar, Zeeshan Ayyub, Kumud Mishra, Rajesh Kumar

Direction: Anurag Kashyap

Rating: 2.5 Moons

Storyline 

‘Nishaanchi’ is set in early 2000s Uttar Pradesh and follows twin brothers Babloo and Dabloo (Aaishvary Thackeray), identical in looks but poles apart in values. Babloo’s life revolves around his deep love for Rinku (Vedika Pinto), but politics and betrayal threaten their bond. Dabloo, drawn into crime and power, becomes the storm that shakes Babloo’s world. Because of this love, a clash of emotions, brotherhood, and betrayal unfolds, what ultimately happens is revealed in the film.

Acting

Debutant Aaishvary Thackeray steals the show with his performance. Vedika Pinto, however, is overshadowed by the stronger supporting cast. Monika Panwar’s character feels heavily inspired by Richa Chadha’s role in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. As expected, Kumud Mishra and Zeeshan Ayyub deliver excellent performances.

Direction

With Anurag Kashyap as director, expectations are always high, but this time he falls short. ‘Nishaanchi’ feels stuck in the same world as ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, without offering anything fresh. The biggest drawback is its length — had that been tighter, the film could have worked much better.

Dialogues

Lines like “Aadmi sirf apne fayede ke liye aurat ko devi banata hai, aur devi banane ke baad banata hai ch***a” and several others will make you laugh out loud.

Music

The music matches the gritty vibe of the film, but at times it feels like an overdose. The constant use of songs and background score becomes distracting.

Overall

If you’re a die-hard Anurag Kashyap fan, ‘Nishaanchi’ might be worth a watch. Otherwise, it’s avoidable.