Anurag Kashyap's directorial venture gives a distorted message in regards to the Muslim-dominated area's social, cultural and economic life and only perpetuates stereotypes, say the outraged people of Wasseypur, just two kilometres from Dhanbad station.
From the title to the content, the film, boasting an ensemble cast including Manoj Bajpayee, has resulted in hurt and indignation here.
"The film presents a wrong picture of Wasseypur. They mixed facts with fiction and came out with something that may be dangerous. People do not know what's the truth and what's fiction, " Sahil Siddiqui, who guides students for the civil services exams, told.
The town, about 165 km from state capital Ranchi, has a population of about 200, 000 and does do something about education unlike what the film attempts to portray.
"The history doesn't start with the conflict between Pathans and Qureshis (because the film makes it out). It was only a conflict between two gangs over scrap business. The root was laid by the late Wassey Sahab and Jabbar Sahab in 1955-56. They were known contractors of Dhanbad, " said dentist Taqi Anwar.
Story writer Zeishan Quadri, who belongs to Wasseypur, told that "the film is 80 percent real and 20 percent fiction". The residents, however, disagree, saying that the film is an "insensitive" and "brutal" portrayal of a lifestyle that does not exist in reality.
According to Anwar, the film attempts to "generalise criminal conflict between two people because the story and history of Wasseypur".
"When the film starts it says 'yahan ek se ek haramzade rehte hain'. It is very unacceptable, " added a visibly upset Anwar.
The anger is widespread.
Imran Khan, an educationist, told that the film is a grimy" and wrong picturisation of the place".
"It is like every other locality, where both good and bad people live. The film attempts to make a hero out of a few criminal elements. People don't use filthy language as shown within the film. Doctors, engineers and IAS officers live here, " said Imran.
Abu Tarique, a marketing executive, described "Gangs of Wasseypur" as "third grade" because it doesn't challenge but sustains "the stereotypes related to Wasseypur basically and Muslims in particular".
Asadur Rahman, a journalist with Urdu daily Faruqi Tanzeem, said the film "stalls the mixing of Wasseypur" with the mainstream society.
"There was already an official bias and discrimination with the Muslim-dominated locality and now with this film, it will become further aggravated. The film could lead to further segregation of Wasseypur from the mainstream society."
"Why did Anurag Kashyap choose a Muslim area?" he asked.
In the view of Bilquis Khanum, general secretary of district Congress party's women's cell, the film has already done the damage.
"My kids has been subjected to lewd comments by his classmates in schools. Children of the locality are being nicknamed as Sardar Khan (the group lord played by Manoj). What message does this film gives to the youth?" she asked.
BJP minority cell president of Dhanbad Jawed Khan says he had sent a legal notice to Kashyap, which the filmmaker didn't receive.
"The film is an try to defame Wasseypur. On June 13, we filed a case within the Jharkhand High Court demanding that the name of the film be changed and a few dialogues be changed. We don't object to the film being made, however the film is at the story of coal mafias, then why drag Wasseypur's name in, " he asked.
"I had led a calm protest outside the cinema halls at the first day of the film. We painted the posters black and marked the day as Black Day for citizens of Wasseypur, " Jawed told.
