Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has admitted that making certain kinds of films is ‘impossible’ in the current political climate, where films face lots of controversies. Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, the filmmaker-actor talked about the responsibility filmmakers have to keep the flag of free speech flying high.
Anurag Kashyap on Gangs of Waseypur and Black Friday
Anurag was on stage at the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival on Saturday, where he spoke about cinema, politics, and technology in a session titled ‘Fearless Film Making’, moderated by film critic Baradwaj Rangan.
During the session, Anurag reflected on his films and said, “In today’s times, making films like Gangs of Wasseypur or Black Friday is impossible. Some subjects have become politically sensitive and lead to controversies. Directors from countries like Iran or Russia are making films despite facing far greater restrictions than us. Indian directors should draw inspiration from them.”
Black Friday was Anurag’s first released film. A retelling of Mumbai Police’s investigation into the 1993 Bombay blasts, the film starred Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, and Pawan Malhotra in the lead. Gangs of Wasseypur, a two-part crime drama, is regarded as one of the finest Indian films ever made. It boasted of a strong ensemble cast including Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Huma Qureshi, Pankaj Tripathi, Piyush Mishra, and Zeeshan Ayyub.
‘Films against Hitler came only after Hitler died’
In the session, Anurag was asked about the lack of political films in mainstream cinema in today’s time, when he poignantly said, “In Germany, films against Hitler came only after Hitler died. Everything requires its own time.”
Anurag’s most recent work
Anurag Kashyap most recently directed the two-part film Nishaanchi. Part 1 was released in theatres last year, followed by a direct-to-streaming release for Part 2. His much-delayed film, Kennedy, starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone, is also finally getting an India release. On Saturday, it was announced that the film will be released on Zee5. But no release date has been announced.
