Anurag Kashyap compares Dhadak 2 to Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt films: ‘What mainstream cinema was meant to be’

Anurag Kashyap lauded Shazia Iqbal for "holding a mirror to us of what India really is". Dhadak 2 hit the screens on Friday.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has compared Shazia Iqbal's Dhadak 2 to films by Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, K A Abbas, B R Chopra, and Yash Chopra. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Anurag penned a long note praising the film's lead actors, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri. He said that this is "what mainstream cinema was meant to be."

Anurag Kashyap has only good things to say about Dhadak 2.

Anurag Kashyap showers praises on Dhadak 2

Anurag shared a bunch of posters and pictures from Dhadak 2. He lauded Shazia for "holding a mirror to us of what India really is". "In what is the most searing mainstream debut that I have seen in a very, very long time, @shaz.3.0 holds a mirror to us of what India really is outside of our bubble that we live in. Aided by terrific performances from @tripti_dimri, @siddhantchaturvedi, @saurabhsachdeva77 @saadcasm_ @priyanktiwarii, @itsharishkhanna, @manjiripupala @vipin.sta and writing with #badwelkar, brilliantly shot by @sylvesterfonseca," he said.

Anurag compares Dhadak 2 with Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt films

He added that filmmakers have forgotten to make "mainstream films of social relevance" nowadays. "The film captures the conversation that we avoid on a day-to-day basis. This is what mainstream cinema was meant to be, and this is what great filmmakers like Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, K A Abbas, B R Chopra, Yash Chopra, and so many used to do. We forgot to make mainstream films of social relevance. They got relegated to independent art house cinema. This is what Tamizh cinema and so much of cinema from south still does," Anurag continued.

Anurag says Dhadak 2 is “a punch in the gut”

Dhadak 2 follows Nilesh, a Dalit law student who falls in love with his classmate Vidhi, who hails from an upper-caste household, and the humiliation and tribulations he faces from her family. The film has been lauded for being one of the rare Bollywood mainstream romances to tackle casteism and classism in India.

Anurag called Dhadak 2 an "extremely brave and powerful film". "A mainstream adaptation of Periyarum Perumal, without losing the essence of it, Dhadak 2 is a punch in the gut. My driver, who went with me, wept at the end of it and hasn’t stopped talking since. An extremely brave and powerful film from @dharmamovies. See it for yourself. I won’t say much. Congratulations to the whole team. @prashant316 @animeshpanwar @sanyukta_mohta and others that I don’t know. Well done, team. @somenmishra @karanjohar," concluded his note.

About Dhadak 2

Dhadak 2, which hit the theatres on August 1, is a story that explores love and challenges social norms. The film follows Siddhant's character as he navigates a love story that breaks through societal expectations and class barriers. It's a spiritual sequel to the 2018 hit, which starred Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter. Dhadak was the Hindi remake of the Marathi film Sairat.