Gangs of Wasseypur

[DaemonAngel]

Whats this bollywood fascination for English titles?? Is the overseas/english speaking desi market so out-numbering the local??? I for one simply hate this overload of english titles!

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by DaemonAngel

Whats this bollywood fascination for English titles?? Is the overseas/english speaking desi market so out-numbering the local??? I for one simply hate this overload of english titles!

GoW was always built with an international festival audience in mind so I'd hardly fault them for it. Obviously the intent was to resonate with the Gangs of New York title.

In general a title should aim to be crisp and easily understandable and have a catchy ring to it, and sometimes it may happen that an English title may do that job better than an Indian language title. Also for most people not living in the northern India belt, the knowledge of Hindi is superficial/broken, and they may understand a crisp English/Hinglish title better than a crisp pure Hindi title.

@DaemonAngel: I have a question, if you had to represent the same title in Hindi, what would you call it?

[nitin]

hmm, this sounds like your typical AK movie, with all the pluses and minuses that entails.

[zombeaner]

Originally Posted by ravenus

GoW was always built with an international festival audience in mind so I'd hardly fault them for it. Obviously the intent was to resonate with the Gangs of New York title.

In general a title should aim to be crisp and easily understandable and have a catchy ring to it, and sometimes it may happen that an English title may do that job better than an Indian language title. Also for most people not living in the northern India belt, the knowledge of Hindi is superficial/broken, and they may understand a crisp English/Hinglish title better than a crisp pure Hindi title.

@DaemonAngel: I have a question, if you had to represent the same title in Hindi, what would you call it?

For what it's worth, almost all of the promotional material on GoW has Wasseypur displayed in devanagri rather than Romanized characters. I'm extremely pissed off that Viacom18 made no plans for a US release with this film, I know many people here, including me, who are chomping at the bit to see it.

[bugsnest]

Originally Posted by zombeaner

I'm extremely pissed off that Viacom18 made no plans for a US release with this film, I know many people here, including me, who are chomping at the bit to see it.

Man, I'm in the same boat as you! I called the Reliance BIG theatre in Chicago to ask if they would be getting this anytime soon and the guy on the phone had no clue what this film was (he initially thought I was on crack when I told him the title!)

If anyone has any good info on a US release then please post here. Where's Roger Ebert when you really need him??!!

[DaemonAngel]

Originally Posted by ravenus

@DaemonAngel: I have a question, if you had to represent the same title in Hindi, what would you call it?

I am pretty sure you are not asking me to translate - so, having not seen the film, I cant tell you what might be apt for this movie. But I am sure there can be an appropriate Hindi title even if its an exact translation.

Besides, my comment was a general one not specific to this movie. Since 2007 or so I have noticed English titles have out numbered Hindi titles or so it feels. Lot more English in dialogues too. Dont get me wrong, I am not against the "English" language but I feel the industry is drifting ever so slowly away from the language since they adopted the term "bollywood". FYI - Hindi is not my first language but I learned it since I was 5 so I do consider myself relatively fluent in it. No doubt, I'd like to hear more Hindi in Hindi movies starting with the titles!

[bugsnest]

Originally Posted by DaemonAngel

I am pretty sure you are not asking me to translate - so, having not seen the film, I cant tell you what might be apt for this movie. But I am sure there can be an appropriate Hindi title even if its an exact translation.

Besides, my comment was a general one not specific to this movie. Since 2007 or so I have noticed English titles have out numbered Hindi titles or so it feels like. Lot more English in dialogues too. Dont get me wrong, I am not against the "English" language but I feel the industry is drifting ever so slowly away from the language since they adopted the term "bollywood". FYI - Hindi is not my first language but I learned it since I was 5 so I do consider myself relatively fluent in it. No doubt, I'd like to hear more Hindi in Hindi movies starting with the titles!

I consider myself fluent in Hindi but for the life of me cannot come up with the Hindi equivalent of the word "gang". So I guess if the equivalent word is lost on about 80% of the movie going population then one is better off keeping the title in English.

Funnily the word for "television" in Hindi is "door-chitra-vanee". But even a villager in the Hindi speaking belt would call it by it's universal name - TV

[cinefan indian]

Originally Posted by bugsnest

I consider myself fluent in Hindi but for the life of me cannot come up with the Hindi equivalent of the word "gang". So I guess if the equivalent word is lost on about 80% of the movie going population then one is better off keeping the title in English.

Funnily the word for "television" in Hindi is "door-chitra-vanee". But even a villager in the Hindi speaking belt would call it by it's universal name - TV

Gangs of Wasseypur - वास्सेय्पुर के गिरोह (Wasseypur Ke Giroh)

[ravenus]

I doubt if you would find even one in ten people outside of the UP-MP region that would know Giroh better than Gang.

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I doubt if you would find even one in ten people outside of the UP-MP region that would know Giroh better than Gang.

i've heard this GIROH word quite often in news channels. i do recognize it.

[cinefan indian]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I doubt if you would find even one in ten people outside of the UP-MP region that would know Giroh better than Gang.

Kya sir! like divyansh replied! anyways this option then -

वास्सेय्पुर की टोलियाँ

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by DaemonAngel

Since 2007 or so I have noticed English titles have out numbered Hindi titles or so it feels. Lot more English in dialogues too. Dont get me wrong, I am not against the "English" language but I feel the industry is drifting ever so slowly away from the language since they adopted the term "bollywood".

Blame that on the arrival of all these beauty queens / bodybuilders and assorted star kids that can't even speak good Hindi in a fluent way. People are only interested in the shape of Katrina's lips than what emerges when she opens them to speak.

[Anurag1700]

Originally Posted by ravenus

People are only interested in the shape of Katrina's lips than what emerges when she opens them to speak.

Bang on!! Since the day i have seen this so called 'actress' first , I have been saying exactly the same line...u stole my words.

[raSpberRy]

Gangs of Wasseypur has gathered approx 17 Cr. so far.
I think final gross will be 23-25 Cr.

[cinefan indian]

Originally Posted by Anurag1700

Bang on!! Since the day i have seen this so called 'actress' first , I have been saying exactly the same line...u stole my words.

haha infact what came out of her lips would be someone else' voice in her initial Hindi films

[surma884]

Originally Posted by DaemonAngel

Whats this bollywood fascination for English titles?? Is the overseas/english speaking desi market so out-numbering the local??? I for one simply hate this overload of english titles!

Indians love to copy move titles also. Anyone remember Gangs of New York (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0217505/)? That movie was set in 1863, and Gangs of Wasseypur is set towards the end of the British Raj.

I used to have a problem with English move titles, but now I understand. Some words in English are easier to say than in Hindi.

I think the movie should be good. It is by Anurag Kashyap.

[mikepraba]

I am sure GV prakash must have asked his Uncle (ARR) for some advice and suggestions before composing the BGM for this movie.

[sanjay0864]

Having only watched half of the movie so far, it would be unfair to pass judgement overall. But if GOW Part I were to be judged as a complete movie by itself, it fails to hold up. That does not necessarily mean I think it is a bad movie, just that it left me rather unsatisfied. Based on Part I, GOW seems like another Anurag Kashyap movie which promises so much, but somehow fails to deliver completely. As is usual for an Anurag Kashyap movie, GOW too has some brilliant moments, but as is also the case with most of his movies, the overall product is not as great as it's parts.

PS: Did I miss something or was the timeline in GOW rather confused. 'Trishul (1978)' & 'Mukaddar Ka Sikander (1978)', both are referenced in the mid 80's, after 'Kasam Paida Karne Waale Ki (1984)'. Also, in the petrol pump scene (early 1970's), the dispensing units have a BPCL logo. BPCL was not formed until the end of 1977.

[anibap]

watching GoW now...

[cinefan indian]

Originally Posted by sanjay0864

Having only watched half of the movie so far, it would be unfair to pass judgement overall. But if GOW Part I were to be judged as a complete movie by itself, it fails to hold up. That does not necessarily mean I think it is a bad movie, just that it left me rather unsatisfied. Based on Part I, GOW seems like another Anurag Kashyap movie which promises so much, but somehow fails to deliver completely. As is usual for an Anurag Kashyap movie, GOW too has some brilliant moments, but as is also the case with most of his movies, the overall product is not as great as it's parts.

PS: Did I miss something or was the timeline in GOW rather confused. 'Trishul (1978)' & 'Mukaddar Ka Sikander (1978)', both are referenced in the mid 80's, after 'Kasam Paida Karne Waale Ki (1984)'. Also, in the petrol pump scene (early 1970's), the dispensing units have a BPCL logo. BPCL was not formed until the end of 1977.

yes u missed the ad banner on the theater RAY Cinema where Trishul was shown in the film...it read - TRISHUL - Aapke Shehar mein Paanchi baar

So I guess its justified Trishul being shown watched in 80s..small towns like such back then had tremendous repeat audience for such films ...all till the VHS revolution arrived