Anurag Kashyap’s Mirror Doesn’t Lie
The renegade filmmaker chats about his beef with Netflix, his stalled 900-page script, and his secret to great cinema.
Filmmaker, writer, and producer Anurag Kashyap has made a career out of defying Bollywood’s rules, from writing the gritty screenplay for Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya (1998) to directing the cult classic Gangs of Wasseypur (which many have called India’s answer to The Godfather) and Netflix India’s Sacred Games (with longtime collaborator Vikramaditya Motwane). Off screen, he speaks his mind, critiquing even the most powerful.
We sat down with the auteur to chat about mastering the art of cinema, why he’s so angry with Netflix (it’s not the reason you think), and his upcoming film Nishaanchi. In true Kashyap fashion, he swore freely, joked loudly, and spoke bluntly about everything from what’s gone wrong with Indian cinema to why he’s hopeful its glory days will return.
We have edited this interview for length and clarity.