Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, renowned for his bold, unconventional storytelling in films like Gangs of Wasseypur, has made a significant revelation regarding his future in the Indian film industry. In a candid interview, Anurag Kashyap expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the current state of Bollywood, revealing that he plans to leave Mumbai in 2025 and move to South India.
His reasons for this drastic decision stem from his frustration with the industry's obsession with profits, remakes, and star-making culture, which he believes have stifled creativity and innovation in filmmaking.
"Now it is difficult for me to go out and experiment as it comes at a cost, which makes my producers think about profit and margins," Anurag told The Hollywood Reporter. He further elaborated, stating that the commercial pressures of the Bollywood film industry undermine the essence of filmmaking. "Right from the beginning, before the film starts, it becomes about how to sell it. So, the joy of filmmaking is sucked out. That’s why I want to move out of Mumbai next year. I am going to the South. I want to go where there is stimulation. Otherwise, I will die as an old man," he confessed, emphasizing his need for a creative space that nurtures fresh ideas and risk-taking.
Anurag's comments reflect his growing disillusionment with the Bollywood industry, which he claims is fixated on replicating successful formulas rather than embracing innovation. He pointed out that films like Manjummel Boys, which feature fresh and experimental narratives, would never see the light of day in Bollywood. "The mindset is to remake what’s already worked. They will not try anything new," he lamented. This reluctance to experiment with new ideas, he says, is a significant reason why he feels creatively stifled in the Hindi film industry.
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In addition to his frustration with the industry's commercial priorities, Anurag also criticized the role of talent agencies, which he argues focus more on generating profit than on nurturing new talent. “The first-generation actors and the really entitled ones are very painful to deal with. Nobody wants to act—they all want to be stars,” he remarked, highlighting a growing disconnect between the craft of acting and the pursuit of celebrity. Kashyap shared an anecdote about an actor who had initially abandoned him after an agency's advice, only to return later when the actor's career faltered. "This is what the agency does—they just make money off you. They aren’t invested in building new careers. They don't want new actors to grow. Instead of sending them to acting workshops, they will send them to gyms,” he explained.
Anurag's disappointment extends beyond the industry’s commercial mindset to the actors themselves. He expressed frustration with how some actors, whom he considered friends, distanced themselves from him once they became part of the star-making machine. "One of my actors, whom I thought of as friends, ghost you because they want to be a certain way. That happens mostly here; it doesn’t happen in Malayalam cinema," he noted, contrasting the collaborative and grounded nature of the South Indian film industry with the ego-driven culture in Bollywood.
In a sign of his shifting allegiances, Anurag recently appeared in the Malayalam action thriller Rifle Club, directed by Aashiq Abu, known for his work on Virus. The film, which released on December 19, 2024, marks Kashyap’s increasing engagement with South Indian cinema, where he hopes to find the creative freedom that he feels is missing in Bollywood. His move to the South signifies a potential shift in his filmmaking journey, as he seeks an environment where artistry can thrive without the constraints imposed by commercial pressures.
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