‘Nishaanchi’ Trailer: Debutant Aishvary Thackeray’s Twin Act Powers Anurag Kashyap’s Crime Saga 

We may not get Gangs of Wassepur 3, but Anurag Kashyap is cooking once again with Nishaanchi, his latest crime drama originating from the Hindi heartland. A sprawling saga of two twin brothers (played by debutant Aaishvary Thackeray) in small-town Uttar Pradesh, and the paths they take, the film’s fun and flavourful trailer was released on September 3.

The trailer opens with a mother (Jamtara’s Monika Pawar) teaching her young boys to aim. While Babloo Nishaanchi grows up to become a scampish troublemaker, his calmer twin, Dabloo, hangs on to his mum’s apron strings. The picture of their adult lives is thrown into chaos by the entry of Rangeeli Rinku (Vedika Pinto), a dancer of high wattage who turns both their heads. All along, Kashyap’s knack for musical dialogue writing is in bloom: “Hormone Harmonium”,  “Dhamkane aya tha, chamka diye..”. There are also filmy references to Mughal-E-Azam and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! that will delight the cinephile director’s fans.

Aaishvary is the grandson of the late Bal Thackeray. He is joined in the cast by Kumud Mishra, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Saharsh Kumar Shukla in key roles. Nishaanchi's 15-track-strong album rooted in local flavour has been composed by Anurag Saikia, Manan Bhardwaj, Dhruv Ghanekar, Aaishvary, Nishikar Chhibber, and others. 

Kashyap has described the film as a throwback to an older tradition of mainstream Hindi cinema. “Nishaanchi is a story I’ve carried with me for years,” the filmmaker said in a statement. “It’s my most cinematic film with a classic story at its center involving emotion, betrayal, action - everything I grew up loving in Hindi films. Working with Amazon MGM Studios India was extremely fruitful as they trusted me completely.” 

He credited his cast with bringing the world of Nishaanchi alive. “Aaishvary, Vedika, Monika, Zeeshan, Kumud and every single actor in the film— they didn’t just act, they lived and breathed these characters. Their commitment to the story and the authenticity of their performances shines in the film.” 

Nishaanchi is set to release in theatres in India on September 19.