Anurag Kashyap has once again criticized contemporary Hindi filmmakers, questioning their creativity and risk-taking abilities. In a recent interview, he stated that Bollywood lacks the ingenuity to produce films like the Telugu blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise or its sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule.
Anurag Kashyap on Bollywood and Pushpa
Kashyap remarked that the Hindi film industry has become risk-averse and overly reliant on formulaic filmmaking. “They don’t understand the essence of filmmaking. They couldn’t create something like Pushpa because it requires the vision of a filmmaker like Sukumar,” he said. Kashyap praised the South Indian film industry for empowering directors and investing in their creativity, contrasting it with Bollywood’s ego-driven attempts to build cinematic universes. “When you create a universe, you think you’re God. But do they even understand how small they are within it?”
Sukumar is the director of Pushpa 2: The Rule, which stars Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, and Allu Arjun. The film has become the highest-grossing Indian film of 2024, earning over ₹1760 crore worldwide. It is now the third-highest-grossing Indian film in history, with expectations of surpassing Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.
Kashyap on Kennedy and Bollywood’s Studio Model
Additionally, Kashyap attacked Bollywood’s constrictive studio model, claiming it inhibits innovation and puts financial success ahead of artistic expression. He bemoaned his picture Kennedy’s difficulty getting a theatrical release in India after it had an enthusiastic 2023 Cannes picture Festival debut.
“I’ve detached myself from Kennedy because I don’t want it to weigh me down like Black Friday did. I refuse to let anything in my life hold me back again,” Kashyap explained.
Kennedy, which stars Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone, has received praise at several international film festivals but has not yet been distributed in the United States.
Despite the fact that Kashyap hasn’t directed a movie since Kennedy, he has continued to be involved in the business by appearing in prestigious films like Leo, Maharaja, and Viduthalai Part 2.
According to Kashyap, the gap between Bollywood and South Indian cinema emphasises how Bollywood has to empower filmmakers and accept creative risk instead of following a strict studio-driven formula.
