Anurag Kashyap opens up about leaving Mumbai for Bengaluru, how it helped his mental health: ‘Everything is more real’

What happens when a filmmaker at the heart of Bollywood decides to step away? Anurag Kashyap talks about leaving Mumbai and finding solace in Bengaluru.

In an era when film industry hustle is glorified to the point of burnout, Anurag Kashyap, the director who introduced audiences to the gritty world of Gangs of Wasseypur, has quietly abandoned the high-pressure epicentre of Bollywood for the leafy, comparatively slow-paced life of Bengaluru.

Why Anurag Kashyap left Mumbai

In a September 10 interview with The Nod, the filmmaker opened up about his quiet exit from Mumbai, explaining that the city had ceased to be a creative refuge and had instead become an overwhelming source of distress: “Mumbai depresses me.”

For years, Anurag Kashyap’s former Mumbai duplex was a bustling hub for writers, and aspiring actors — a house one friend described as a 'thoroughfare'. But following the mental toll of the Covid-19 pandemic and his own personal unravelling, the constant noise turned toxic.

The Bengaluru reset

His longtime partner, Shubhra Shetty, eventually issued a gentle ultimatum, telling him she wanted 'the Anurag that she knew before' and that he should stay put in Karnataka. Recognising the need for a total reset, Anurag made the leap in 2025, rupturing his ties with Mumbai, a city he no longer recognised.

Now settled into 'an airy apartment on a quiet cul-de-sac down the road from a Syrian Christian church in Bengaluru's Central Business District', Anurag's day-to-day existence looks drastically different. You might spot him nibbling on Burmese small plates at local cocktail bar Dali & Gala, catching late-night screenings on Brigade Road, or chatting with a local auto-rickshaw driver who insists on giving him rides even when he prefers to walk. Most importantly, the shift has reignited his core passion: "I’m just writing a lot... I am trying to start from zero.”

Away from the relentless machinery of Bollywood, Bengaluru has served as Anurag’s creative lab — an insulated retreat where he can write, experiment, and act without anger, resentment, or the constant commercial pressure to 'sell out'. It's a sanctuary where he meets like-minded 'exiles' and 'self-exiles' from all walks of life, far beyond the insular echo chamber of cinema.

“Everything is more real. Even if I go [to Mumbai] for a day, it is very difficult. I don’t want to meet anybody from the film industry," Anurag told The Nod. His experience isn’t just an artist's moody escape; it mirrors a well-documented psychological phenomenon.

What science says about relocation, mental health

Psychological studies on geographical relocation show that moving away from high-stress environments can help lower anxiety and reduce depressive symptoms.

Behavioral scientist and professor at the University of Southern California, Dr Wendy Wood’s research, published in PubMed in 2005, detailed how changing a physical location breaks old behavioural cues and toxic habit loops. By removing environmental triggers, people can forge new neural pathways and reclaim their mental baseline — exactly what Anurag described as his process of rebuilding himself from scratch.

Between starring in upcoming regional projects, like the Kannada film 8, scouting southern talent, and ‘recutting his own films’ for personal satisfaction, Anurag has traded Mumbai's rat race for a writerly life of quiet intention. His relocation proves that sometimes the most radical thing a creative mind can do for its health is simply step away.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.