Many are calling 2026 the year of patriotic and devotional films in Hindi cinema. With the success of movies like Dhurandhar and Hanuman Ansh, there is a wave of patriotic and devotional titles being announced. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap believes that the two genres now have hegemony in Bollywood, with other diverse genres struggling to even surface. In a chat with Hindustan Times, the filmmaker opens up on why making diverse films is challenging these days.
Anurag Kashyap on devotional and patriotic films
Anurag is backing the independently made children’s film Little Thomas, starring Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Dugal, and directed by Kaushal Oza. Talking about his role as an executive producer, Anurag says, “I see myself more as an enabler.”
The filmmaker elaborates, “It is just about faith and upping somebody’s morale. I see myself as someone who keeps morale high and helps them complete and release a film. I don’t think anybody knows what to make today. Film banana hi difficult hai (It is difficult to make films). Whether it’s a children’s film or an adult film, making your own film is difficult today.”
Anurag says the wave of patriotic and devotional films being announced shows that Hindi cinema is now following that trend. He explains, “I was talking to a producer the other day, and they said, ‘We don’t know what to do’. You can make either a patriotic or a devotional film. Otherwise, nothing else is getting greenlit. That is a fact and a tragedy.”
Three of the four biggest hits from Bollywood this year fit in this bracket - Dhurandhar 2, Hanuman Ansh, and Border 2. Several more have since been announced. But Anurag feels that this also creates an environment ripe for slice-of-life films like Little Thomas. “Hopefully, this film will sneak in, because this is not like any other film out there,” he says.
{{/usCountry}}Three of the four biggest hits from Bollywood this year fit in this bracket - Dhurandhar 2, Hanuman Ansh, and Border 2. Several more have since been announced. But Anurag feels that this also creates an environment ripe for slice-of-life films like Little Thomas. “Hopefully, this film will sneak in, because this is not like any other film out there,” he says.
{{/usCountry}}The filmmaker also feels that merely because some films have children as protagonists does not make them kids’ films. “For instance, what will you call this recent Telugu film called Don’t Trouble The Trouble, which stars Fahadh Faasil and is backed by SS Rajamouli. It has Fahadh, so would you call it a children’s film?” he argues. Conversely, he shares an argument from the other end of the spectrum. “When we go to festivals, we see so many coming-of-age films. The biggest, most talked-about series in the last two years was Adolescence. But they are for adults,” says Anurag.
All about Anurag's Little Thomas
Written and directed by Kaushal Oza, Little Thomas features an ensemble cast led by Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Dugal and also features child artiste Hridansh Parekh in the titular role. The film is produced by Anurag Kashyap, alongside Anushka Shah, Charu Oza, Rajnikant Oza, Akshay Thakker, Kabir Ahuja, and Ranjan Singh. It is slated for a theatrical release on October 23.
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