Kashyap on Kaushal Bollywood & Chhaava
Anurag Kashyap Opens Up on Vicky Kaushal, Bollywood, and His Own Departure from the Industry
In a candid interview with an Indian publication, acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap shared his thoughts on his relationship with Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal and his growing distance from the mainstream film industry.
Kashyap, known for iconic films like Gangs of Wasseypur, Dev D, and Black Friday, recalled his early collaborations with Kaushal, including projects like Raman Raghav 2.0 and Manmarziyaan. However, the director revealed that he is “not in touch” with the actor these days.
“I don’t have much interaction with him these days,” Kashyap said of Kaushal, who is now expecting a child. “I don’t judge him, because every person has their own reasons… This is why I left Mumbai. Every person has their own ambitions, and it is up to them how they choose to achieve them. It’s not my responsibility.”
Kashyap also spoke about his decision to step back from the industry. “It took me a while to detach myself,” he explained. “But the atmosphere in Bollywood has become more money-minded. People are looking at ‘crores’ in their decision-making. This is what I ran away from. I don’t want to return to that world.”
The filmmaker did not hold back when asked about Kaushal’s latest film, the historical epic Chhaava, which has become one of the year’s biggest box-office hits. “More than Chhaava, it felt like The Passion of the Christ. Mujhe nahi jami (I didn’t like it),” Kashyap remarked.
He elaborated, “The emotion that was being created out of discomfort, I don’t appreciate. I basically watched it for Vineet. I don’t want to judge. I didn’t understand the filmmaker’s storytelling choices, but others did. That’s why I’m not a part of the mainstream; I’m a more romantic sort of person. I’ve stopped watching Hindi films anyway.”
The comments sparked a response from Chhaava director Laxman Utekar, who criticized Kashyap’s stance on Bollywood. “He does not have the sensibility to accept the audience’s taste,” Utekar said. “You should change your sensibilities instead of telling the audience to change themselves. If you think the audience didn’t understand your film, why did you make it? You shouldn’t have made it. Go write a book or something. But if you’ve made a film, the audience comes first.”
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