Nishaanchi Movie Review: A Bold Entry into Gangster Drama

On 19 September 2025, Nishaanchi was released across multiple cinema chains in India — including INOX, Cinepolis, Carnival, Miraj, Mukta A2, Wave, SRS, SPI, Asian Cinemas and others — marking the latest Hindi-language offering in the crime-drama space. The film is positioned within Bollywood, albeit with a distinctly gritty, regional sensibility, aligning with Anurag Kashyap’s known affinity for underbelly storytelling.

Genre and Background
Nishaanchi is a crime drama with elements of family conflict, moral ambiguity and revenge. It revisits familiar terrain for Kashyap — gangster world, rural heartland settings, and characters pushed to extremes. The project was reportedly in the making for years, at one point considered with Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead. The film is co-written by Anurag Kashyap, Ranjan Chandel, and Prasoon Mishra.

Plot Outline
Set largely in Kanpur circa early 2000s, the central narrative revolves around twin brothers Bablu and Dablu (both played by Aaishvary Thackeray). They grow up under difficult circumstances following the death of their father and are raised by their mother, Manjari (Monika Panwar). The brothers take divergent paths: while Dablu attempts to remain morally grounded, Bablu becomes drawn into crime, eventually participating in a bank lottery scam and other illicit activities. A botched heist leads to Bablu’s incarceration, triggering a sequence of familial strains, betrayals, and shifting loyalties. Without delving into final twists, the film later explores how these patterns affect relationships between the twins, their mother, and surrounding antagonists like Ambika Prasad (Kumud Mishra) and other power players.

Cast Performances
The casting is anchored by Aaishvary Thackeray in a demanding dual role, and critics generally agree he makes a promising debut. He delineates the emotional distance between the two twins with relative ease — Bablu’s volatility and Dablu’s restraint are reasonably differentiated. Vedika Pinto (as Rinku) delivers a grounded performance in her supporting role; reviews observe her chemistry with Thackeray and her natural presence. Monika Panwar, as the mother dealing with grief and survival, is cited as a key emotional anchor. Kumud Mishra, in a negative turn as Ambika Prasad, stands out in scenes of manipulation and menace. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Vineet Kumar Singh also appear in supporting roles, and though their screen time is limited, they contribute to the film’s layered world. Overall, performances are viewed as a strength, elevating script imperfections in many reviewers’ eyes.

Direction and Screenplay
Under Anurag Kashyap’s direction, Nishaanchi is ambition incarnate. He leans heavily into stylized narrative techniques, non-linear structure, tonal shifts between dark comedy and brutality, and heightened character moments. Critics note his return to form when compared to his earlier gangster works, though some observe that the film occasionally overreaches and becomes indulgent. The screenplay offers several gripping moments and unexpected turns, but pacing becomes uneven in the second half, with stretches that may test viewer patience. While the narrative foundation is strong, tighter editing might have sharpened the film’s impact. Some critics argue that the film, at nearly three hours (177 minutes as per credits), feels like a mini-series compressed into a long theatrical format.

Cinematography & Visuals
The cinematography by Sylvester Fonseca captures the dusty, heat-laced landscapes of Uttar Pradesh with texture and grit, invoking a moody, lived-in ambience. Production design, costumes, and art direction evoke a bygone era credibly, grounding the film’s period sense without calling attention away from the drama. Action sequences are staged with raw energy, even if certain visual motifs feel familiar to fans of the genre. Visuals overall align with narrative tone — harsh when required, intimate in emotional moments.

Technical Details (Editing, Sound, VFX)
Editing by Aarti Bajaj draws praise for several sequences but is also critiqued for not being uniform in tightness, especially in the runtime’s middle stretches. Sound design and background score help in both amplifying tension and underscoring quieter emotional beats. The film uses multiple music directors (Anurag Saikia, Manan Bhardwaj, Dhruv Ghanekar among others as per credits) to weave a soundtrack that blends with narrative mood. VFX and visual enhancements are modest — functional but never flashy. Costume, production design, and overall mise-en-scène remain strong, contributing to an immersive diegetic world.

Music and Background Score
The songs and score in Nishaanchi serve the narrative more than the commercial template. Music critics note that the tracks are varied, sometimes experimental, and tend to avoid formulaic hooks. The background score amplifies heist tension, family drama, and emotional turmoil with precision. Some reviewers point out that while songs may not linger post-viewing, they fulfill their narrative function.

Audience & Critical Reception
Critical response to Nishaanchi has been largely mixed to positive. Ratings in the range of 3 to 3.5 out of 5 are common. Some critics celebrate Kashyap’s return to gangster milieu, strong performances, and world-building, while others point out the film’s excesses and narrative drag. On many film forums and social media, audience reactions mirror this balance: appreciation for the ambition and spectacle, tempered by remarks about pace and length.

Box Office Performance
Commercially, Nishaanchi has struggled in its opening days. Reports indicate it collected only ₹25 lakh on Day 1. Over its first weekend, it failed to cross the ₹1 crore mark. By midweek, earnings continued to dip — for example, on its first Wednesday it reportedly earned just ₹5 lakh. The initial theatrical run appears weak, likely reflecting limited initial footfall and possibly tempered word-of-mouth.

Overall Verdict
Nishaanchi is a bold and ambitious work that offers many compelling ingredients: strong performances, rich world-building, distinctive visuals, and narrative risks. It resonates in sequences where emotional stakes and moral conflict collide. Nevertheless, its length, occasional self-indulgence, and uneven pace undermine some of its momentum. For viewers attuned to edgy, character-driven crime dramas, it offers enough intrigue and texture to make the viewing worthwhile. The film may benefit from a sharper edit in successive viewings or formats, especially for its OTT or home release life.

Disclaimer
This Nishaanchi review is not intended to defame, criticise, or undermine any artist, technician, or individual associated with the film. It is based on public opinion, research, and insights from various film critics and box office reports.