Acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has publicly criticized Netflix India, calling its top bosses “dishonest and morally corrupt.” Anurag Kashyap, who has worked with the platform on the highly successful Sacred Games, expressed his frustration over the company’s lack of commitment to meaningful storytelling and its prioritization of increasing subscriptions over creative integrity. His remarks come in the context of his admiration for the British crime drama series Adolescence, which he believes would never be greenlit in India under Netflix’s leadership.
Admiration for Adolescence and Its Impact
Anurag took to social media to praise Adolescence, expressing his envy and admiration for the bold storytelling seen in the show. He admitted feeling “numb and envious and jealous that someone can go and make that.” He further applauded the makers’ “courage” for not missing a single nuance in the film, calling it “better than any film or anything I’ve seen.”
This deep appreciation for Adolescence fueled Anurag's disappointment with Netflix India. He believes that such a show, which pushes creative boundaries and delivers hard-hitting narratives, would never be approved in India due to the streaming giant’s commercial priorities.
Accusations Against Netflix India and Ted Sarandos
Anurag did not hold back in his criticism of Netflix’s leadership. He specifically took a jab at Netflix’s CEO, Ted Sarandos, who had previously praised Adolescence for “pushing into brand new territories, defying the limits of creativity and featuring career-defining performances.”
“Netflix.in is a totally opposite shitshow. If they were pitched this, most probably they would have rejected it or turned it into a 90-minute film (that too seems like an impossibility because it doesn’t have an ending that is black and white).”
Reflections on His Own Experience with Netflix India
Anurag has firsthand experience dealing with Netflix India and shared his frustration with the platform’s management. He revealed that after Sacred Games, he encountered a lack of “empathy, courage, and dumbness mixed with immense insecurity of the series head and the team that keeps getting fired.”
“It frustrates me. How do we ever create something so powerful and honest with a bunch of most dishonest and morally corrupt @netflix.in backed so strongly by the boss in LA?”
Netflix’s Focus on Subscriptions Over Content Quality
A major point of contention for Kashyap is Netflix India’s prioritization of increasing subscriptions over delivering meaningful content. He accused the streaming platform’s top bosses in Los Angeles of focusing solely on growing their Indian subscriber base rather than fostering quality storytelling.
“This hypocrisy of Ted and Bella vis a vis the Indian market of 1.4 billion people, where their only interest is an increase in subscriptions and nothing else.”
Anurag also pointed out how the quality of content on Netflix India has suffered due to this approach. He referenced the upcoming show Saare Jahan Se Acha, starring Prateik Gandhi, which he claims has been “shot twice” and has already gone through a “change of directors.” This, he argued, is indicative of the unstable decision-making process at Netflix India.
“There was a time when Eric Barmack would reach out on Facebook to create something with Netflix to now where they send you a shot show like ‘Saare Jahan Se Acha’ – which wasn’t even written properly and half-baked. Which by the way has already changed directors and been shot twice (inevitably).”
“It makes me frustrated, jealous of shows like Adolescence and envious and hopeless. I hope they learn from the reception of it and realize that all the best things Indian Netflix does is mostly either acquired (Delhi Crime, Black Warrant) or the ones they least believed in (Kohrra, Trial by Fire). Fingers crossed for a better future.”
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
