Filmmaker Hansal Mehta recently shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes story about the iconic film Gangs of Wasseypur. In a candid chat with Mid-day, Mehta revealed that he was initially approached to direct the film and had even envisioned his old friend Manoj Bajpayee in a pivotal role before Anurag Kashyap took the reins. Gangs of Wasseypur, released in two parts in 2012, has since become a cult classic in Indian cinema.
While Anurag Kashyap acknowledges that the film casts a long shadow over his career, Hansal Mehta had his own journey of ups and downs before achieving critical acclaim with Shahid and establishing himself in the streaming space. Manoj Bajpayee in Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) — Frame Found (@framefound) Mehta recounted how the project first came to him through writer Zeishan Quadri. He said, “Zeishan Quadri came to me with that story, and we worked on it for a few months.
I spoke to Manoj, who was doing nothing at the time. We had just started talking; we had broken up for several years. I spoke to Manoj, and I said, ‘Tu karega kya?’ And he said, ‘Haan karte hain, main thoda paisa bhi laga leta hoon (Yes, let’s do it, I’ll put some money into it as well)’.
” However, despite his enthusiasm, Mehta faced significant hurdles in mounting the budget and securing a producer for the ambitious project. “I had no idea how to go about it, because nobody trusted me,” Mehta admitted. During this uncertain period, Quadri met Anurag Kashyap, who showed.