"Nishaanchi for me, is like going back to the cinema I grew up watching", says director Anurag Kashyap

I would read a lot of Noir, from Dashiell Hammett to Raymond Chandler, and reading that stuff opened the door for me to cinema, making me curious to watch films from across the world.

Anurag Kashyap's primary passion has always been storytelling, which began with his early love for books and films. Throughout his versatile career as a director, writer, producer, and actor, his core identity remains that of a dedicated cinephile. He retains the perspective of that captivated young boy who first experienced cinema as pure magic on projected white walls.

Growing up in a small town, his access to films was not through modern theaters but through informal screenings; sometimes from a projector operated by his father, and other times from delayed showings at the local Chalchitra talkies. These formative experiences profoundly influenced his development as a filmmaker.

Now, with his new project Nishaanchi, Kashyap is channeling that same sense of raw, childhood wonder, returning to the essential magic of the cinema that defined his youth.

Reflecting on how those early encounters with stories shaped his artistry, Anurag Kashyap shared, “I would read a lot of Noir, from Dashiell Hammett to Raymond Chandler, and reading that stuff opened the door for me to cinema, making me curious to watch films from across the world. Nishaanchi, for me, is like going back to the cinema I grew up watching. Back then, we had no theatres in small towns, so my father would set up a projector to project films onto the big white walls. Since cinemas were in the cities, our entertainment came from government-scheme theatres like Chalchitra Talkies. Films would reach us years after their city release. Sholay was released in 1975, but I saw it only in 1980 or ’81. Sometimes movies were projected on white walls or red sheets in tennis courts, and kids like me would sneak behind the screen to watch when our parents forbade it.”

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Directed by Anurag Kashyap and produced by Ajay Rai and Ranjan Singh's Jar Pictures with Flip Films, Nishaanchi is written by Prasoon Mishra, Ranjan Chandel, and Kashyap. The film is a gripping drama that delves into the complex dynamic between two brothers on drastically different life paths, exploring how their decisions forge their futures.

Headlining the cast is debutant Aaishvary Thackeray in an intense double role, supported by Vedika Pinto, Monika Panwar, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, and Kumud Mishra.

It is scheduled for a nationwide release on September 19.