Gangs of Wasseypur

Once afraid to reveal his Dalit identity, Neeraj Ghaywan went from a corporate desk to Cannes, where his deeply personal film Homebound earned a nine-minute standing ovation and global recognition for the stories he tells — and the silences he breaks.

From playing roles in stage performances to struggling to crack the code of cinema, Jaideep Ahlawat’s journey is proof that great things take great effort.

Zuby Johal and Rajiv Subba, founders of Dirty Hands Studio in Ahmedabad, have worked on 36 movies so far, which include Raabta, Uyare, Tumbad, Finding Fanny and Gangs of Wasseypur.

Over the years, through all the ups and downs and the seemingly endless wait for his career to take off, if there was one constant in Tripathi’s life, it was his wife, Mridula.

Even as we believe that the movies churned out by Hindi-film industry are mass entertainers, and one needs to forget the idea of logic while watching them, it is also true that it has produced gems that are recognised not just in India, but all over the world.

For a man who has made such a strong mark on cinema, it was a surprise to learn, as he said, that the first time he saw a TV was when the 1988 TV show Mahabharat was telecast.

The idea behind this system came when the Gangs of Wasseypur actor met some French farmers during his recent visit to Cannes.