Just how and why Ajay decided to make a film on the same theme as Anurag, that too when Anurag was in the midst of putting together his six-hour, two-part Gangs of Wasseypur, is a puzzle that begs solving. To add to it, The Coal Mafia is being rush-released in May, a month ahead of Gangs of Wasseypur.

When contacted, all Anurag said was, "I am happy for Ajay Kashyap . His film is about the coal mafia.

Coal is just a part of my film. He has made an epic whereas mine is just a simple film.

All the best to him!" However, an actor from Anurag's film revealed, "We were horrified when we heard about this other Kashyap also doing a quickie on Dhanbad's coal mines, and releasing it before our film. Anurag wasn't aware of any such project until someone brought it to his notice.

The good news is apart from the surname, the two belong to completely different schools of thought and creative sensibilities." Ribbed about his film's uncanny similarity to Anurag's film, Ajay chose not to reply.

But an actor from The Coal Mafia disclosed, "It would be very unethical to say anything against the film before its release. All I can tell you is that the treatment of the theme in Ajay's film is strictly commercial.

Ajay is a good human being but being a good human being and a good filmmaker are not the same thing. The Coal Mafia is a typical formula film.

But to say the resemblance between the two films is purely coincidental would be naive. The idea is to pre-empt Anurag's film on the same theme.

" Interestingly, both Kashyaps were denied permission to shoot on location in Dhanbad. In Anurag's Gangs Of Wasseypur, Varanasi had to masquerade as Dhanbad while Ajay had to recreate Dhanbad somewhere on the outskirts of Mumbai (less)