Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is back to his irreverent best. The director of Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) returns with an action-packed drama in Mukkabaaaz. The film is sscheduled to be released on 12 January 2018.
The trailer begins with an irreverent and comic tone that runs as an underlying theme of Kashyap's film.
Set in Bareilly, the film tells the story of Shravan Singh (Vineet Kumar Singh), a feisty boxer from the lower caste who has the potential to become a champion. However, there is one roadblock in his path and that is Bhagwan Das Mishra (Jimmy Shergill). Once Shravan Singh falls afoul of Mishra, there is hell to pay. In addition, there is the angle of his romantic liaison with Mishra's mute niece, Sunaina (Zoya Hussain).
The trailer packs a punch with its energetic music and zany humour. With some cute moments of romance, humour, and some action thrown in, Mukkabaaz feels unlike any dark, brooding Kashyap film. But the Kashyap trademark remains in the form of its sly needles towards the casteist nature of power in Uttar Pradesh.
From stating 'Isiliye to Uttar Pradesh ka naam kharab hai sports mein' (That's why Uttar Pradesh does not have a name in sports), Bhagwan Das Mishra's bold statement 'Hum brahman hain. Aadesh dete hain' (I am a brahman. We command.) to a local MP calling Mohammed Ali, a boxer from Kerala, there is enough to cause friction in an already bristling political class.
Kashyap's film was the opening film of 2017 MAMI film festival, and generated a massive buzz.
Mukkabaaz review: A layered and entertaining film that floors you
Whether it is Vineet's intensity or Shergill's anger, the trailer offers enough to validate the buzz around the film. The film also marks the debut of Hussain.
Kashyap's film is produced by his home production, Phantom Films, in association with Aanand L Rai.
Watch the full trailer: