Q&A WITH ANURAG KASHYAP

Bollywood's enfant terrible, Anurag Kashyap is back. Last month, he released what could be regarded as his least political film. But this might just be the lull before a storm, for the film-maker seems to be seething inside

- Ananya Ghosh

The universe of an Anurag Kashyap film is almost always hostile and noir. Even when he creates a romantic drama like Manmarziyaan, he imbues it with enough turbulence. His cinema — gritty, realistic, and raw — is mostly a reaction to and reflection of the ruthless and unforgiving contemporary modern world. The maker of Gangs of Wasseypur (his seminal work that is part of the Guardian’s 100 Best Films of the 21st Century list) and the co-director and co-producer of the 2019 International Emmy Award-nominated Netflix series Sacred Games, Kashyap is often credited for paving the way for modern new-wave Hindi cinema.

His recent release, Dobaaraa, touted as the official remake of the 2018 Spanish film Mirage, is unlike anything the prolific indie auteur has ever attempted. Yes, it is still a dark and dank world with the brooding stillness being broken by a brutal act of violence. But this is a sci-fisaga that unfolds in multiple timelines. We caught up with the film-maker to talk about his alternate realities. 

 

You are a movie buff and have extensive knowledge of world cinema. Yet, you have never done a remake so far. Why did you make an exception for this one?

It is not essentially a remake of Mirage but is based on its script, which I absolutely loved. Sunir Khetarpal, who is the producer of the film and Taapsee Pannu had worked together in Badla. I don’t know what deal they have with Oriol Paulo, but surprisingly they got this script before the film was even made (laughs). Since we worked with the script and were not remaking the movie, both the movies are very different from each other. It was two film-makers interpreting the same script in their own way.