 |
| Anurag Kashyap: From sleeping on the pavement in Mumbai to becoming a major director |
Like the different genres of Indian cinema, there have been filmmakers of different temperaments. One of them is Anurag Kashyap, who can faint at the sight of blood in real life, and the thought of attending someone's funeral makes his hands and feet tremble.
However, if you are familiar with Anurag's films, you will know that showing such scenes on screen is not a big deal for him.
Anurag's films mostly deal with social issues, ie issues like drugs, smoking, child abuse, depression, and stress.
But few people would know that Anurag himself has gone through these issues and that's why he chooses themes that involve elements of hatred and violence.
Anurag's film career has completed 30 years, creating a unique place for himself in Indian cinema.
In an interview, Anurag Kashyap said that after coming to Mumbai, he also used to sleep on the roadside. Sometimes they were able to sleep, sometimes they were kicked and taken away. People used to sleep in a line on the footpath and had to pay six rupees to sleep.
When he reached Prithvi Theater directly from Mumbai by train, he was told, 'This is a hotel, not a theatre.'
He says that when he came to Mumbai, he had only five thousand rupees in his pocket.
He recalls that a man was in charge (of the footpath) there and he had to pay six rupees so that no one would pick it up till six in the morning.'
He carried his suitcase which often contained books. "I was the only person who could use the bathroom at the Firthaway Theater before it opened."
Anurag is one of those Bollywood directors who have made their mark by taking a different path. His films may always be surrounded by controversies but that is his specialty that you cannot ignore them.
Indeed, he has played an important role in creating a different genre and a new definition of filmmaking. It has also been his specialty that he has provided ample opportunities to new artists.
He gave a big break to Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Apart from Nawaz, Vicky Kaushal was also given an opportunity by Anurag who is considered to be very talented among the young artists today. Anurag allowed Vicky to join his film 'Gangs of Wasseypur' as an assistant.
After writing a television serial, Kashyap got his big break as co-writer of Ram Gopal Varma's crime drama Satya (1998) and made his directorial debut with Panch, which was never released due to censorship issues. Not released theatrically.
He directed Black Friday (2004). The film was based on Hussain Zaidi's book about the 1993 Bombay blasts. The film was shelved for two years until the case was decided.
Anurag Kashyap's No Smoking (2007) performed poorly at the box office with negative reviews. His 'Dev D' (2009) was a modern version of Dev Das which was a hit.
Then the socio-political drama 'Galal' (2009), the thriller 'That Girl in Yellow Boots' (2011), and 'Gangs of Wasseypur' (2012) increased his popularity immensely.
Anurag Kashyap later co-produced the critically acclaimed The Lunchbox and Shahid (both 2013), the former of which did not receive a BAFTA Award nomination for Best English Language Film. His next films were 'Anthology', 'Bombay Talkies (2013), and 'Agli' (2014).
In 2016, Kashyap directed 'Raman Raghav 2.0'. The film was inspired by serial killer Raman Raghav. His next film was the sports drama 'Mukabaaz' which was released in 2018.
In the same year, he co-directed India's first Netflix series crime thriller 'Sacred Games', based on Vikram Chandra's novel of the same name and the romantic drama 'Man Marziyan'. He is also the co-founder of Good Bad Films, a film production company.
You all must know the history of Anurag's movie 'Bombay Talkies' with Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. Anurag was so shocked by the flop of this film that he even threatened to say goodbye to the film world.
Anurag has always condemned the actions of the Censor Board. On the occasion of the release of the film Udta Punjab (2016), the Censor Board raised many objections to it and there was also a controversy over it.
Anurag has a deep connection with controversies. Be it their controversial statements, social media posts, family relationships, or fights with partners in the film fraternity.
During an interview a few years ago, he revealed that he was sexually abused as a child. According to Anurag, 'I was sexually harassed for about 11 years. However, now I have forgiven this person.
He was 22 years old when he molested me. When I met him many years later, he even regretted it.
He said that it was not easy for me to forget him. I came to Mumbai with this tension, frustration, and anger. In the initial years, I worked hard here too, but Kalki helped me a lot to come out of depression.
Anurag was first married to Aarti Bajaj in 1997, but both got divorced in 2009. Both have a daughter Alia who is 19 years old. Later, Anurag married actress Kalki in 2011. But this marriage also did not last long and in 2015 they got separated.
Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who has acted in many of Anurag's films, says, “From a very disorganized person to an organized person, from a restless person to a stable person, from an angry person to a calm person, I have been a witness to Fur since he was only 22 years old.
Their journey is difficult but wonderful. They are never afraid of this. Anurag always faces problems and finds the solution himself.'
He says that today they are at an important point. He has coined his cinema. He is a source of inspiration for new filmmakers. We both have seen each other's journey.
"I respect him from the bottom of my heart."
Pawan Malhotra, who worked with him on Black Friday, says, “He has carved a niche for himself in films and has always worked outside the box.
"He was the first person to market Hindi films abroad, which NFDC (National Film Development Corporation in India) could never do."
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who became a star in Anurag's film 'Gangs of Wasseypur', says that the way Anurag placed the characters around him in his films, 'No one has done it.'
"He has his own style which has been unique and is still alive today."