People call me controversial, arrogant, dark: Anurag Kashyap

Director Anurag Kashyap on the various perceptions about him; insists Gangs Of Wasseypur is his best cinematic work to date. Read on for the full interview.

Director Anurag Kashyap on the various perceptions about him; insists Gangs Of Wasseypur is his best cinematic work to date

Do you consciously try to make intellectual films that stand apart from mainstream cinema?
Intellectual is a relative term. I don’t think it’s intelligent to watch Gangs Of Wasseypur (GOW). You just need to be clear-minded and have the ability to absorb (the story and various characters). The movies I make come naturally to me, because that’s what I know best. There should be different films in the industry. Why should there be a herd mentality?

Anurag-Kashyap-poses-during-a-road-show-promotion-for-the-forthcoming-film-Gangs-of-Wasseypur-in-Mumbai-on-June-5-AFP-photo

You have become something of a brand yourself ?
I guess so. Anything that helps me make my film is fine. But no one comes to me asking to cast them. People think there is a queue of big filmmakers dying to work with me, but that’s not true. Some even think I produced Shanghai and directed Shaitan (2011). The problem is that people don’t give others due credit. Even I didn’t get it early in my career. There’s a negative perception of you as a rabble-rouser who announces projects and doesn’t follow through. People who don’t know me might feel so. People call me controversial, rabble-rouser, dark — all terms by people who expect one kind of behaviour (from me). There is an image about me as intimidating and arrogant, which isn’t true either.

Is your next project, Bombay Velvet, part of a trilogy?
No. I want to make three different films on Bombay (set in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s), but not as a trilogy. The first movie will be Bombay Velvet. We will start shooting in April 2013.It was a surprise to see you in an ad recentlyI am quite happy with the response. It was a sudden decision. The casting director (of the ad) asked me if I would like to do it and I did. It’s a one-off thing. I didn’t go looking for it. When I was offered the chance I took it on as I liked the concept and the director.