Tigmanshu Dhulia says Mirzapur is ‘heavily exaggerated’, doesn’t reflect Hindi hinterland reality; here's why
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Tigmanshu Dhulia is no stranger to stories rooted in the Hindi heartland, but the filmmaker believes there is a tendency to view the region through the lens of shows such as Mirzapur . While discussing his latest directorial Ghamasaan, which revolves around a dacoit and an IPS officer, Tigmanshu called the portrayal of the Hindi hinterland in the popular series “exaggerated” and explained why he prefers to treat locations as characters in his films.
Adding to this, Tigmanshu Dhulia feels Mirzapur is heavily exaggerated Tigmanshu says Mirzapur is exaggerated In an interview with Zoom, Tigmanshu shared, “The Hindi heartland is not just one location. Uttar Pradesh is different from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Even there, there are different regions. Location is a huge character in my films. I like doing that because I am inspired by American movies.”
Meanwhile, He added, “I can’t speak about Mirzapur because whatever was shown was heavily exaggerated; whatever was shown doesn’t really happen. Katte ban rahe hain, arms ban rahe hain, aise nahi bante hain. Complete lawlessness joh dikhayi hai, voh bhi nahi hoti hai aise (They’re making weapons, they’re making arms — that’s not how it’s done. The kind of complete lawlessness that has been shown isn’t like this either). Gangs of Wasseypur was closer.”
Notably, Mirzapur is a Hindi-language crime thriller series created by Karan Anshuman and Puneet Krishna. Set in the fictional Purvanchal town of Mirzapur, the series revolves around the Tripathi family’s criminal empire and the power struggles, violence and rivalries surrounding it. Starring Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu and Shweta Tripathi Sharma, the show became known for its gritty depiction of crime and the Hindi heartland. Of late, the series was also adapted for the big screen, titled Mirzapur The Movie. Apart from the series' characters, Ravi Kishan is one of the new additions to the cast of the movie. The movie received positive reviews from the critics and has emerged as one of the biggest successes of the year. The movie has collected over ₹ 300 crore rupees worldwide in just 17 days.
As per the latest buzz, Written by Piiyush Singh and Ram Yash Singh and directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, the crime drama is based on dacoit Dadua; the movie stars Pratik Gandhi, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav and Ishita Dutta in pivotal roles. Ghamasaan first premiered at MAMI Mumbai Movie Festival, then at Cinevesture International Movie Festival in Chandigarh, and then screened at 16th Chicago South Asian Movie Festival.
In further updates, The movie was rolled out on 11 September 2026 on ZEE5 and opened to mixed reviews from the critics.
On top of that, Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting widely shared pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical rollout or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times