Most of us are curious and fascinated about the lives of people belonging to the criminal underworld; hence no matter the time or era, gangster movies never go out of style. Here’ s a rundown of the top Hollywood and Bollywood Gangster movies:
1. The Godfather Trilogy
This cinematic masterpiece is considered one of the greatest films of all times, especially in the gangster genre. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy, It explores the psychological nuances of a criminal mind. The film is based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name. It was followed by two sequels The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990). It features legendary actors Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in the lead as a part of a New York crime family. It won the Oscars for Best Movie, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay. It had seven other Oscar nominations including one for the best director.
2. Gangs of Wasseypur
This two-part Anurag Kashyap film is considered one of the most epic Indian gangster movies. Gangs of Waseypur is based on the actual rivialry of three muslim clans in the town of Wasseypur in India. Starring great Indian actors like Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Richa Chadda, Huma Qureshi, Vineet Kumar Singh, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Piyush Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi in the major role. The movie uses instances of dark humour and quirky regional music to break the grim theme. The film was a breakthrough for most of the cast and also for the director. Written by Zeishan Quadri, there is a use of blood, gore, and abuse in the film whenever required. Hence with this movie introduced an entirely different style of film making in India .
3. Pulp Fiction
Directed by one of the most respected directors Quentin Tarantino, this film is considered one of his best works till date particularly in screenwriting. The movie tells the stories of the criminals of Los Angeles. The film title is in reference to the crime novels and ‘pulp’ magazines which were very popular in that era and were very known for their graphic violence and texts. The film won various awards at different film festivals and was also nominated for a lot of Oscars.
4. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai
Produced by Ekta Kapoor under the Balaji Motion pictures, this movie is a 2010 Indian gangster film. The film stars Ajay Devgan, Kangna Ranaut, Emraan Hashmi, Prachee Desai, and Randeep Hooda. It was a box office success and also gained a lot of critical appreciation. The movie is loosely based on the lives of the gangsters of Mumbai Underworld, Dawood Ibrahim, and Haji Mastaan. its sequel, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara! was released on 15 August 2013
5. Don
This 1978 crime thriller is one of the classic retro gangster movies. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Helen, Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu and Pinchoo Kapoor. Later, Farhan Akhtar created a remake of the movie Don: The Chase Begins Again in 2006) and its sequel Don 2 in 2011, both starring Shah Rukh Khan. The story revolved around the life of Vijay, a Bombay slum commoner who resembles the underworld boss don and how the police officers seek his help to impersonate as don and act as their informant.
6. The Departed
Another one of Martin Scorsese’s gangster movies, This film is the remakes of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affair. The film stars Leonardo Di Caprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg. The film was a critical and commercial success and won several awards, including four Oscars.
7. Black Friday
This is an offbeat movie which deserves a special mention in the list. This 2004 movie directed by Anurag Kashyap is centered around the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts. The movie stars actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kay Kay Menon, and the director Imtiaz Ali as well. The film wasn’t released until two years after making until the verdict for the crime was pending. It was screened in various film festivals all over the world and was appreciated by most critics.
So why are you still waiting to be thrilled? Go grab some popcorn and enjoy one these tonight.
