Anurag Kashyap feels Hindi filmmakers are compromising on quality in a bid for box office success, says, “Everything will flop”

In a recent interview with Humans of Cinema, Anurag Kashyap shared his candid views on the evolving trends in storytelling and the challenges faced by filmmakers in the Hindi film industry. Kashyap, known for his forthright opinions, addressed the industry’s creative crisis driven by the pursuit of massive box office earnings.

He remarked, “I have often seen that success destroys more than it breeds. When Sairat made Rs. 100 crore, I told Nagraj Manjule, who is my friend, that Marathi cinema is now finished. Because now no one will want to tell stories, they would want to earn ₹100 crore.”

Anurag Kashyap believes most Pan- India movies look the same

Kashyap elaborated on the detrimental effects of prioritising commercial success over creative integrity, stating, “The problem with our Hindi film industry is that they now want to earn Rs. 500 to 800 crore, not make films. For that, you have to first dumb down your films, and sacrifice your story. And it’s not like it is an original voice; all follow a formula and copy each other. Now everyone is imitating the pan-India trend. If you watch 10 pan-India films, all will look the same. This never benefits the health of the industry as the films then start to bomb in huge numbers. One or two will work, then everyone will copy, and then everything will flop.”

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Kashyap has directed several acclaimed Bollywood films and web shows, including Black Friday, Dev D, No Smoking, Gulaal, Gangs of Wasseypur, Mukkabaaz, Sacred Games, and Manmarziyaan. His latest film, Kennedy, was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023. The neo-noir thriller features Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone, Abhilash Thapliyal, Mohit Takalkar, and others. 

Reflecting on the Cannes experience in an interview with Film Companion, Kashyap 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. 7 mins long standing ovation from the audience has made me full of gratitude. I am very grateful and excited at the same time.”

Looking ahead, Kashyap will take on a negative role in Vijay Sethupathi’s Tamil crime action-thriller Maharaja.

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