Nishaanchi Review: Anurag Kashyap’s trademark crime world in a new avatar

Anurag Kashyap’s Nishaanchi feels like déjà vu — a return to the gritty crime sagas that built his reputation. The trademarks are all here: violence-soaked badlands, eccentric soundscapes, flawed characters, and stylised chaos. On paper, it promises a gripping ride, but at nearly three hours long, the narrative stretches itself thin, leaving the experience more exhausting than exhilarating.

Set in mid-2000s Kanpur, the film follows identical twins Bablu and Dablu, both played with surprising confidence

by debutant Aaishvary Thackeray. They are the sons of Manjari (Monika Panwar), once a shooting prodigy, and wrestler Jabardast (Vineet Kumar Singh). Their childhood, scarred by betrayal and bloodshed, pushes them onto diverging paths. One is drawn into crime under a manipulative family friend, while the other clings to his mother’s moral compass. Inevitably, their fates collide in a tale of loyalty, betrayal and revenge, with dancer Rinku (Vedika Pinto) and the menacing Ambika Prasad (Kumud Mishra) adding further sparks.

If it all sounds familiar, that’s because Nishaanchi is cut from the same cloth as Gangs of Wasseypur and countless Bollywood crime dramas. The recipe is unchanged — generational rivalries, small-town feuds, dysfunctional families. But while Wasseypur felt lived-in and startlingly fresh, Nishaanchi plays like a recycled version, with its Kanpur backdrop adding little beyond flavour.

What rescues the film are the performances. Thackeray makes a striking debut, bringing distinct shades to each twin. Panwar is exceptional, carrying the film with her layered portrayal of Manjari, especially opposite Singh in the flashbacks. Mishra is predictably brilliant, exuding menace with ease, while Pinto adds charm despite her rushed arc. Vineet Kumar Singh, though brief on screen, makes every frame count. Having already impressed in Chhava earlier this year, he delivers another quietly powerful performance here.

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Kashyap’s craft is unmistakable — the eye for detail, the operatic staging of violence. Yet the story loops back on itself, drags in stretches, and cries out for sharper editing. Engaging in parts but bogged down by pacing, the film never quite lands the emotional punch it aims for.

As a standalone crime drama, Nishaanchi is watchable, lifted by its cast and flashes of Kashyap’s brilliance. As a Kashyap film, it feels too safe, too familiar, and far too long. A tighter cut might have given it the edge it aspired for.