Anurag Kashyap calls Bollywood ‘insecure place’, admits he’s getting more love in South: ‘My pot belly got more applause than Tiger Shroff’s..’
Anurag Kashyap goes gaga about receiving love and acceptance in South, and also reveals why he’s drifting away from Bollywood.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is enjoying his stint in the South, and he also believes getting a lot more love and appreciation in regional cinema, as compared to Bollywood. After impressing the masses with his performance in Maharaja and Rifle Club, the Gangs of Wasseypur director would be presenting the Hindi version of Malayalam film, Footage.
On Monday, Anurag attended a special preview of the film’s extended trailer with the cast, Manju Warrier, Vishak Nair, Gayathri Ashok, director Saiju Sreedharan, and writer Shabna Muhammed. After the preview, Anurag and other joins a round-table discussion with the media.
Ask Anurag why he is focusing on his acting career, and that too only in South, and Black Friday director in his witty manner replies, “I find more love in South. I find more existence in the South. Today, I’m questioning myself, ‘if I was born in Kerala or Tamil Nadu, I would have a better career’.” The Dev D director further claims, “After 32 years in Hindi, I feel like an outsider. I don’t feel the same when I go to Kerala or in Tamil Nadu. When I did my first masterclass at the Kerala Film Festival, I had not seen that kind of love (here). The number of people who were there was enough to turn any of my film into a hit.” Anurag confirms he will be making films in South, and he has concrete plans about it.
The No Smoking director further boasts about his fat bod receiving more love than Tiger Shrof’s ripped physique down South. “You know my pot belly in Rifle Club got more applause than six packs of Tiger Shroff (Laughs).”
Anurag explains why he’s drifting away from Bollywood, saying that the stakeholders, producers, directors, studios have lost the risk-taking factor, and have gone far more calculative. “Hindi film industry has become a very insecure place. Right now, they are confused, I’m not. I’ve gifted away scripts, to get rid of people. I’ve withdrawn my projects from studios who’s telling me how to do things. They’re insecure to get a hit, and the risk-taking appetite has gone down. Everybody has discovered a formula or just wants to follow a trend. I want to step away from that.”
Anurag reveals that he has been offered to make Gangs of Wasseypur 3 and Dev D 2, several times. But he has rejected it, as he does not want to do it. On the work front, Anurag will be seen playing a cop in Adivi Sesh’s Dacoit. Anurag Kashyap presents Footage (Hindi version) will be releasing on March 7.
