'Mirzapur' was called 'cheap imitation' of 'Gangs of Wasseypur' initially: Director Gurmmeet Singh

MUMBAI: Director Gurmmeet Singh says his popular crime drama series "Mirzapur" was initially compared to Anurag Kashyap's "Gangs of Wasseypur", with some even calling it a "cheap imitation" the two-part movie.

The series, a gory tale of gang wars, greed and power, is set in the badlands of Purvanchal region in Uttar Pradesh and revolves around the clash for dominance between two families, the Tripathis and the Pandits. The first season of "Mirzapur" was released in 2018 followed by two more seasons in 2020, and 2024.

The series features Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Shweta Tripathi, Rasika Duggal, Divyenndu, Rajesh Tailang, Sheeba Chadha, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and others. Singh, who directed the Prime Video series and its recent successful movie adaptation "Mirzapur: The Movie", said he watched "Gangs of Wasseypur" as a fan and the comparison became apparent after the first season of "Mirzapur" released.

"We started to hear (about it) a lot more during the release of season one. Many saw the trailer and said that it looks like a cheap imitation of 'Wasseypur', then it sort of hit us: 'is that true'? "And then, of course, we could piece the similarities because you understand things like katta (country made pistol), rural background. Thankfully, as people experienced it, they realised that the storytelling was different," Singh told PTI in an interview.

"Gangs of Wasseypur" is a two-part crime saga set against the backdrop of the coal mafia and gang wars of Wasseypur in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Starring Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead, the 2012 film follows the long-running feud between the Khan and Qureshi families. According to Singh, both "Mirzapur" and "Gangs of Wasseypur" are set in worlds of crime and violence but their emotional core is different. "'Mirzapur" carries within it more hope... Anurag's world is so brutal, like he's absolute gangster, his characters are tough, while our characters are lovable. So, that's where there's a bit of difference. "Like, our characters were joining the world that's bad but their expectation from it was quite innocent. I think that sort of distinctly made those two ('Gangs of Wasseypur' and 'Mirzapur') different."

Singh met Kashyap after the release of the second season of "Mirzapur" and said the filmmaker was warm towards the team. "He spoke with great affection. He was very warm because a lot of actors have worked with him also. I don't remember if he had seen it till then or not, but he was very kind, and said, 'You guys should keep doing it'," he said.

The director credited writer-creator Puneet Krishna for coming up with the story of "Mirzapur". Kirshna drew things from his familiarity with Uttar Pradesh. Singh revealed that he first met Krishna while they were working on another popular series, "Inside Edge" and the two later joined hands for "Mirzapur". Singh said "Mirzapur" is a completely fictional show and has nothing to do with the city, which is a trade route between India and places abroad for carpet and other things. "We call it 'Mirzapur' because the name sounds so cinematic, it is a beautiful, peaceful place. We've now subsequently gone and shot there, and met people there. Ours is a completely fictional show, so it's not deriving from any real story that's happened there," he said.

After three seasons of "Mirzapur", the makers decided to go ahead with the idea of adapting it for the big screen, with "Mirzapur: The Movie", which takes the story forward from the first season. Released on September 4, the film has earned Rs 228.40 crore nett in India. Singh said they consciously chose to make the film more cinematic than the Prime Video series, with an emphasis on visual storytelling, action set pieces and music to give audiences a different experience in theatres. "We wanted to upscale it," he said. On the future of the franchise, Singh confirmed that another chapter is being written, but they have not decided whether it will take the form of a film or a series.

"We know this much: that the next chapter is being written, but how it will come or in what form, we are also excited to see." Singh, who worked as an assistant director on films such as "Don" and "Jodhaa Akbar", credits "Mirzapur" for reviving his career as a director after back-to-back failures of films such as "Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene" with Zayed Khan, Anubhav Sinha-produced, "Warning", "What the Fish" with veteran actor Dimple Kapadia, and "Phone Bhoot" starring Katrina Kaif, Ishan Khatter and Sidhant Chaturvedi. He was planning to step away from direction and focus on producing before "Mirzapur" happened and changed the course of his career.

"These are cliches but people tell you failures teach you a lot and it is a tough journey. I had a very fruitful career as an AD; I was working with the best of the production houses and also financially stable by that time," he said, adding that his career as a director didn't start on a great note. "I was lucky enough to not become a struggle but I had to still bide my time and constantly reinvent to wait for an opportunity and I was completely ready to step away from direction and go into producing when 'Mirzapur' happened and things changed. I think I find more joy here as a director."