Renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, known for his candid views on the film industry, recently expressed concerns about the creative crisis in Bollywood. In an interview with Humans of Cinema, Kashyap criticized the industry’s current trend of prioritizing commercial success over storytelling, emphasizing that the desire to earn ₹500-800 crore has overshadowed the essence of filmmaking.
Kashyap highlighted how the pursuit of high earnings negatively affects creativity in filmmaking. “I have often seen that success destroys more than it breeds,” he stated, referencing the Marathi film “Sairat,” which made ₹100 crore at the box office. Kashyap recounted telling his friend, Nagraj Manjule, the director of “Sairat,” that Marathi cinema was finished because financial success would lead filmmakers to focus on earnings rather than storytelling.
“The problem with our Hindi film industry is that they now want to earn ₹500 to 800 crore, not make films,” Kashyap continued. He explained that to achieve such high earnings, filmmakers must simplify their films and sacrifice their stories. This has led to a trend where everyone follows a formula and imitates each other, particularly the pan-India trend. According to Kashyap, this lack of originality and formulaic approach has detrimental effects on the industry, with many films ultimately failing at the box office.
Anurag Kashyap, who made his directorial debut with “Paanch,” has directed numerous critically acclaimed Bollywood films and web shows. Some of his notable works include “Black Friday,” “Dev D,” “No Smoking,” “Gulaal,” “Gangs of Wasseypur,” “Mukkabaaz,” “Sacred Games,” and “Manmarziyaan.”
His upcoming film, “Kennedy,” a neo-noir thriller starring Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone, Abhilash Thapliyal, and Mohit Takalkar, was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023. Kashyap shared his excitement and gratitude for the film’s reception at Cannes, where it received a seven-minute-long standing ovation. In an interview with Film Companion, he expressed, “It’s always special to show your film to the world at Cannes and it’s a lifetime moment to play at the Grand Theatre Lumiere. Kennedy is a very special film to me and extremely personal too. We have put our heart and soul into making this film.”
Sources By Agencies
