While working on Gangs of Wasseypur, Vicky Kaushal revealed that he was almost beaten up by sand mafia and escaped police control

Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal, currently basking in the success of his recent release “Bad Newz,” started his career in the film industry as an assistant director to Anurag Kashyap on the iconic movie “Gangs of Wasseypur.” In a recent discussion, Vicky revealed that he came close to being beaten by a crowd while capturing illegal sand mining footage for the film. He also shared an experience where he narrowly avoided arrest in Benaras for filming at the city’s railway station.

Speaking with comedian Tanmay Bhat on his YouTube channel, Vicky shared his harrowing experience with the sand mafia during the making of “Gangs of Wasseypur.” He said, “The coal smuggling depicted in the film was real. We actually filmed it. One time, we went to capture visuals of illegal sand mining. I was astonished because it was so openly conducted that it felt like a legitimate business, not smuggling. There were 500 trucks, not just a couple.”

He went on, “Some people approached us while we were secretly filming. We found ourselves surrounded by 500 individuals. The camera attendant, an older man in his 50s, called the unit and mentioned a delay because of our situation. Overhearing this, the sand mafia members thought he was contacting someone influential. They slapped the cameraman, seized the camera, and threatened to destroy it. We were on the verge of being beaten up but managed to escape.”

In numerous previous interviews, Anurag Kashyap mentioned that “Gangs of Wasseypur” was shot in real-life locations with hidden cameras, often putting the crew at risk. Vicky elaborated, “We had a camera hidden in a van while filming at the Banaras station. The scene involved Nawazuddin Siddiqui exiting the station, getting into a cycle rickshaw, and leaving. Despite using a hidden camera, we needed a clear single shot. During filming, two constables noticed the camera and began questioning us. I immediately told the driver to get us out of there because the police had spotted us. This was how ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ was made.”

The two-part black comedy crime saga received widespread critical acclaim upon its release and was a commercial success. It has developed an impressive cult following throughout the years.