HIS NEW CHAPTER

WITH NISHA AANCHI, ANURAG KASHYAP DELIVERS HIS MOST 'FILMI' DRAMA YET WHILE STILL BETTING ON FRESH FACES AND UNCONVENTIONAL CHOICES

- -Suhani Singh

Anurag Kashyap owned September and how. Toronto saw the world premiere of Bandar, his feature with Bobby Deol; Venice saw Song of Forgotten Trees—on which he served as executive producer—make waves and win best director prize for Anuparna Roy; and he was co-producer on the critically-acclaimed Tamil drama Bad Girl. But it’s Nishaanchi that Kashyap is most excited about for now. “It’s my most filmi film,” he says with a boyish smile. “It's the one I'm most attached to and happy with the outcome of.” Starring Aaishvary Thackeray, Vedika Pinto and Monika Panwar, the drama released in cinemas on September 19.

Even with a studio-backed film like Nishaanchi, Kashyap does what he is best known for—flaunting his independent spirit by centring his film on the shoulders of a newcomer, as he did with Kay Kay Menon (Paanch), Vineet Kumar Singh (Mukkabaaz) or on underutilised talent like Rahul Bhat (Ugly, Kennedy) and Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Gangs of Wasseypur). Here, Mumbai-based Aaishvary in his debut essays the double role of twins from Kanpur who are at odds with each other and Panwar plays mother to the boys. “It comes from the fact that I have seen it work,” says Kashyap of his penchant to trust those ignored or looking for a break. “In