Anurag Kashyap’s Nishaanchi, a two-part Bollywood crime drama now streaming on Prime Video, revisits the director’s signature rustic underworld with twin brothers Babloo and Dabloo at its volatile core.
Released in theaters before hitting OTT, the saga unfolds in 2000s Kanpur, blending heists, betrayals, and maternal reckoning.
Debutant Aaishvary Thackeray pulls double duty as the aggressive Babloo and reticent Dabloo, supported by Monika Panwar as their steely mother Manjari, Vedika Pinto as love interest Rinku, and Kumud Mishra as gangster Ambika Prasad.
Nishaanchi Part 1: Heist and Heartbreak
Set in 2006, fiery Babloo drags shy twin Dabloo and Rinku into a botched bank robbery, serving time under Ambika’s thumb after their father’s death. Manjari raises them amid possessive rivalries and gang pressures, building to prison-yard tensions and family fractures.
Thackeray’s contrasting portrayals anchor the grit, with Mishra’s sly menace and Panwar’s quiet fury elevating Gangs of Wasseypur-style banter and brawls. Tense action and local flavor shine, though flashbacks bloat the runtime and songs disrupt flow.
Nishaanchi Part 2: Vengeance Unleashed
Post-jail, Babloo learns of Dabloo’s Rinku affair, clashing with Ambika’s political ambitions and cop blackmail into assassination. Betrayals culminate in Manjari’s rifle-wielding justice, subverting cycles of violence.
Pacing sharpens with twists and a melodramatic peak, Thackeray deepening nuance amid raw fights and scores. Pinto adds emotional stakes, but predictable plotting and excess drama echo formulaic echoes.
Kashyap delivers textured chaos for genre fans, propelled by Thackeray’s promise, though tighter editing would amplify impact, streamable for massy thrills.
Overall, Nishaanchi delivers Kashyap’s textured chaos for crime drama enthusiasts, with Thackeray’s breakout dual performance and Panwar’s fierce maternal arc standing tall amid formulaic beats. Stream both parts on Prime Video for a raw, bingeable dive into Kanpur’s underbelly, ideal for Wasseypur fans seeking massy thrills with emotional punch.
Where to watch Nishaanchi (2025)
