In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Anurag Kashyap reflected on the shifting dynamics of Indian cinema, lamenting its pivot from storytelling to starmaking. The celebrated filmmaker dissected the industry’s assembly-line approach, where the pursuit of spectacle often eclipses the power of impactful narratives.
“Now, it’s difficult for me to go out and experiment because it comes at a cost,” he said. He added that since the focus of modern cinema has shifted to how a film should be sold, “the joy of filming has been sucked out.”
Anurag revealed that he’s going to move out of Mumbai soon and into the South. “I want to go somewhere where there’s stimulation otherwise I’ll die out as an old man. You know, I’m so disappointed by my own industry – and not just disappointed, disgusted by the mindset that’s here. When I saw Manjummel Boys, if you go to my Letterboxd it’s written, a script like this would never be made in Hindi. But if a film becomes a hit, a Hindi filmmaker or producer will definitely remake it,” he observed.
The Gangs of Wasseypur director believes that Hindi filmmakers are reluctant to try something new without a reference point to aid them. His opinions extend to those in front of the camera as well. “Nobody wants to act. They all want to be stars,” he noted, adding that the industry feeds on this as well.
Anurag observed that today’s film industry is less about creative camaraderie and more about sustaining high-paying jobs tied to a specific lifestyle. As per the filmmaker, OTT platforms, in particular, have disrupted the delicate ecosystem of independent filmmaking. “There are only a few people I can have creative conversations with,” he said.
“I have made five films and they’re lying unreleased,” he revealed. Referring to his 2023 film Kennedy, he said, “Whose hands is it in now? It’s in the hands of some people who have never made films before. People who made Kennedy in the studio are all gone. As for the people who are there, the directive given to them is to make profits, up the share market value.”
Touching upon how social media has influenced this change, the 52-year-old director shared that he once believed filmmakers were “chefs”, but now they have become “caterers” who want to present exactly what the audience wants to see.
Anurag mentioned that he has yet to watch All We Imagine as Light, his reason being that he does not wish to watch it in the theatre with interval disruptions but in a smooth flow as intended by director Payal Kapadia. “I love her previous films,” he added for good measure.
