Paanch(2003)
'Paanch' (2003) is a Hindi crime thriller film written and directed by Anurag Kashyap in his directorial debut. The film stars Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Vijay Maurya, Joy Fernandes, and Tejaswini Kolhapure. It follows five members of a struggling rock band called Parasites who plan a kidnapping that goes fatally wrong. The story is loosely based on the 1976–77 Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders in Pune. The film was denied a theatrical release by the Central Board of Film Certification due to its graphic violence, drug abuse, and strong language. Despite this, it gained a cult following after being screened at international film festivals including Filmfest Hamburg and the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. The soundtrack was composed by Vishal Bhardwaj.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Internet Archive
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 2003
- Director
- Anurag Kashyap
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 15m
- Rating
- 7.1/10
Storyline
Five friends in a failing rock band decide to kidnap a wealthy acquaintance for quick money. But the plan goes wrong, and the accidental murder of their friend forces them into a spiral of violence and paranoia. As they kill more people to cover their tracks, trust among them shatters, leading to betrayal and destruction.
“Avoid life. It kills you in the end.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Paanch
Cast reunions in this film: Anurag Kashyap & Kay Kay Menon (4 films together), Anurag Kashyap & Sharat Saxena (2 films together), and Vishal Bharadwaj & Aditya Srivastava (2 films together).
Trivia
- The film was never officially released in theaters due to censorship issues with the Central Board of Film Certification.
- It was shot in just 28 days on a very low budget, using guerrilla filmmaking techniques.
- The film's raw style is considered a major influence on the later Indian indie cinema movement.
- Actor Kay Kay Menon, who played the lead, reportedly stayed in character for the entire shooting schedule.
- The soundtrack featured songs by the band Indian Ocean, which became popular independently of the film.
- Many prints of the film circulated unofficially on DVD, building its cult status over the years.
- Director Anurag Kashyap has said the story was loosely inspired by a real-life murder case in Delhi.