In 2012, Bajpayee appeared in Anurag Kashyap's two-part crime film "Gangs of Wasseypur". His character Sardar Khan appeared in the first one. To prepare for his role, Bajpayee shaved his head and lost four kilogram of weight. It premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, Toronto film festival, and the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. "Gangs of Wasseypur" released in India on 22 June to positive response. Anupama Chopra called it his best performance since Bhiku Mhatre in "Satya". For his performance in the film, Bajpayee was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. His next film was the historical drama "Chittagong" (2012), based on the Chittagong armoury raid. Bajpai portrayed the Bengali independence fighter Surya Sen in it, for which he charged no money. His final release of the year was "Chakravyuh", where he played a Naxalite; a role which required him to lose 5 Kilograms weight. Writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar called "Chakravyuh" "the best film of last 20 years". On the contrary, a review carried by "India Today" called it an "amateurish attempt", but praised Bajpayee's acting.