Bollywood actor-director Anurag Kashyap recently shared his unfiltered views on cinema, politics and changing audience behavior during a panel titled ‘Fearless Film Making’ at the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival.
The session was moderated by film critic Baradwaj Rangan.Reflecting on how the climate around filmmaking has changed over the years, Kashyap admitted that the films that once defined his career are no longer possible today. “In today’s time, it is impossible to make films like “Gangs of Wassipur” or “Black Friday”. Some topics have become politically sensitive and cause controversy,” he said.
“Indian directors should draw inspiration from Iranian and Russian directors”
Urging Indian filmmakers to look beyond borders, Kashyap noted that filmmakers in other countries continue to tell bold stories despite harsher conditions.
“Directors from countries like Iran or Russia make films despite much greater restrictions than we do. Indian directors should take inspiration from them,” he said.
Enabled Dhurandhar : “Brave film, but some ideologies turned out to be unnecessary”
Talking about the recently released film Dhurandhar, Kashyap praised its intentions while expressing reservations about certain creative decisions. “It’s a good example of a bold mainstream film. I liked the film, but I didn’t like some of the ideologies,” he said.
He added that certain political interventions could be avoided. “The dialogue about ‘This is the new India’ and one long political monologue with a total of three scenes were unnecessary; even without them, the impact of the film would not have diminished.”
“Calling films propaganda is also propaganda”
While the films are often called propaganda, Kashyap argued that the term itself is often misused. “Calling films ‘propaganda’ or ‘advertisement’ is itself a form of propaganda,” he noted.Drawing a comparison to Hollywood, he added: “Hollywood Marvel films promote American superiority, but no one criticizes them from that point of view.”
Enabled Toxic teaser negative reaction: “Our cultural hypocrisy exposed”
Kashyap also addressed the outrage surrounding the teaser of the Kannada film Toxic, calling it an extremely bold attempt. “The outrage expressed by the teaser exposes our cultural hypocrisy,” he said.Expressing his frustration at the double standard, he added: “When male actors appear on screen shirtless or exhibit excessive machismo, no one questions it.
But when a woman celebrates her sexuality, it becomes difficult to accept.”
Anurag Kashyap to produce Ghachar Ghochar adaptation
Sharing the exciting news, Kashyap revealed that he is doing the Kannada adaptation of famous writer Vivek Shanbhag’s novel Ghachar Gochar. “The film is currently in the scripting stage and will be made in Hindi later,” he said, adding that the director and cast details would be announced soon.
Anurag Kashyap exposes T-series underpayment for iconic film music
“Attention spans have changed thanks to technology”
Commenting on changing viewing habits, Kashyap noted that audiences today are increasingly watching movies on their mobile phones, making it harder for slow-paced stories to hold attention.
“This is the result of changes in technology, not the fault of the audience,” he analyzed.
About political cinema: “Everything takes its time”
Asked about political films and resistance, Kashyap offered a historical perspective. “In Germany, anti-Hitler films appeared only after Hitler’s death. Everything takes its time,” he said, emphasizing his belief that cinema often reflects society in hindsight rather than in the moment.
