Nishaanchi Review: Half a Anurag Kashyap film, half a promise for the sequel ft. Aaishvary Thackeray

Nishaanchi Review: Kashyap revisits gangsters and the heartland—not as sharp as Gangs Of Wasseypur. The sparks are there, but Part 1 barely taps its full potential.

Nishaanchi Movie Review

Nishaanchi Review: Story - Babloo (Aaishvary Thackeray) and Dabloo (Aaishvary Thackeray) are twin brothers born to Manjiri (Monika Panwar), a former national-level shooter who marries aspiring wrestler Jabardast (Vinit Kumar). Life isn’t easy for this family, who soon lose their father, leaving Manjiri to raise her sons in a village that thrives only on rage. While Babloo seeks revenge for his father’s death, Dabloo stays by his mother’s side. As time passes, Babloo grows into a local gangster and eventually locks horns with his own boss, who now wants Babloo’s girlfriend dead. Can the brothers save the day?

Nishaanchi Review

Anurag Kashyap’s biggest contribution to Indian cinema after Satya has to be Gangs of Wasseypur. With those two films set in heartland India, Kashyap didn’t just change the game — he changed the wave itself. The duology became a cult phenomenon and put him firmly on the global map. But somewhere along the way, it also typecast him. Audiences began to believe Kashyap only made a certain kind of movie, which meant some of his best experiments went unnoticed.

Now, more than a decade later, Kashyap has chosen to return to the very arena that earned him worldwide accolades — with the promise of giving audiences exactly what they’ve been craving. A family saga with guns, cuss words, and loads of action and drama — all laced with that unmistakable Anurag Kashyap stamp. But the question is, can he knock it out of the park again?

Co-written by Ranjan Chandel, Anurag Kashyap, and Prasoon Mishra, Nishaanchi tells the story of two twin brothers who may look identical but are worlds apart in spirit. One chooses the streets, the other stays cocooned within the crumbling walls of home. Kashyap and his team spin this tale in their signature style. While the treatment isn’t as grave or expansive as Wasseypur the aspiration to build something of that magnitude is obvious. Nishaanchi has its own voice, a fresh landscape, and a new cinematic grammar, yet it still reminds you at every turn that it proudly carries the AK imprint.

Directed by Kashyap, Nishaanchi is a vibrant idea. It feels like his attempt to throw us back to a time when Hindi cinema loved its Ram-Shyam doubles, zamindars plotting to snatch land, mothers pinning all hopes on their Karan-Arjun, and women waiting for their hero to rescue them from the villains. But this is Kashyap’s playground, so naturally, the tropes get upgrades. The twin brothers aren’t just twins for gimmick’s sake, the women aren’t damsels in distress, and the zamindar here is far more brutal — as is the raw, unforgiving world around them.

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The first half builds drama brilliantly. Kashyap, with his non-linear storytelling, keeps us hooked as he explores a world through rogue Babloo, a man making one bad decision after another. The narrative style works, pulling us into its raw, earthy glamour. It’s not your usual gloss, but the gritty kind that grips you. Kashyap also does what he’s always excelled at — building an entire world where even the smallest character gets a moment under the sun.

And yet, Nishaanchi falters in the second half. What the audience was already told in words before the interval is needlessly re-enacted after it, making the narrative stagnant. The film’s “biggest twist” feels bland because you’re left wondering how the characters themselves didn’t already know it. The blueprint stumbles, and Kashyap’s indulgence shows as he spends too much time on detours that lead nowhere. By the end, it feels more like a warm-up act for Part 2 rather than a film that stands tall on its own. That’s risky, because leaving so much heavy lifting to the sequel is never a healthy sign.

That said, credit where it’s due: Kashyap still creates a three-dimensional world brimming with mad, fascinating references. And Aaishvary Thackeray deserves a special mention — he pulls off the double role with surprising ease. If, like me, you walked in blind without watching the trailer, it might take you a couple of scenes to even realise Babloo and Dabloo are the same actor. That’s a win. Aaishvary brings raw, restless energy to Babloo and a quiet restraint to Dabloo, proving he’s someone we should definitely see more of. Vedika Pinto makes a strong impression, while Monika Panwar is phenomenal in what is easily one of the best-written female roles in recent times. Kumud Mishra is, as always, brilliant, and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub leaves a mark too.

Nishaanchi isn’t a bad film. In fact, it has all the ingredients to be a great one. Kashyap promises intensified drama in Part 2, but Part 1 is handled so unevenly in places that it never fully delivers the Kashyap experience we’ve all been starving for. The Anurag Kashyap of old — the one who shocked, thrilled, and redefined cinema — still needs to make a complete comeback. Hopefully, Nishaanchi Part 2 will be that long-awaited return.

Nishaanchi Review: Final Verdict

Anurag Kashyap revisits gangsters and the heartland — but not as sharply as Gangs of Wasseypur. The sparks are there, the setup is solid, but Part 1 barely scratches its full potential.

Nishaanchi hits theatres on September 19, 2025. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more reviews like this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

FAQs:

Q: Who stars in Nishaanchi?

A: The film stars Aaishvary Thackeray in a dual role as the twin brothers. Vedika Pinto plays Rinku, Babloo's love interest. Supporting roles include Monika Panwar as their mother, Manjiri, and performances by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Kumud Mishra, and Javed Khan King.

Q: When was Nishaanchi released?

A: Nishaanchi premiered in theaters on September 19, 2025. The film is expected to be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run, though the exact OTT release date has not been announced yet.

Q: What is the runtime of Nishaanchi?

A: Nishaanchi has a runtime of approximately 2 hours and 56 minutes, making it one of Anurag Kashyap’s longest films to date. The film has been passed with a U/A 16+ certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification.

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