Wine or script - What made Manoj accept '…Wasseypur'?

May 18, 2012 IANS

Mumbai, May 18 (IANS) Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, whose "Gangs Of Wasseypur" will be premiered at the ongoing 65th Cannes International Film Festival, says he is still unsure what convinced Manoj Bajpayee to say yes for the film.

"This film is based in North India and required actors who understood the language and the region. I have worked a lot with Manoj and his name cropped up in my mind first. I was sure that only Manoj can essay this role of Sardar Khan but we had not talked to each other for a long time," the 39-year-old said here Thursday at a promotional event of the film about the coal mine in Jharkhan.

"So, I took the lead and called him and said that I have a script. He immediately came at 11:30 in the night. He asked for red wine, finished the entire bottle, heard the script and gave his nod. I still don't know whether it was the script or the bottle that made him say yes," he added.

"Gangs of Wasseypur" talks about the coal mafia in Jharkhand. The five-hour-and-20-minute long film has been divided into two parts and both of them will be premiered at the Cannes film festival that began May 16. Kashyap admits it is his most expensive film so far.

"My biggest budget film so far was 'Dev D' which was Rs.6 crore. Compared to that, this is my biggest film. But my big budget is still very small compared to other people. But yes, we have spent money," said Kashyap.

The first part of the "Gangs of Wasseypur" will hit screens June 22 here.

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