Anurag Kashyap

OVER THE YEARS, AS A FILMMAKER, I HAVE BECOME VERY DISHONEST | 50TH BIRTHDAY INTERVIEW OF MAVERICK FILMMAKER ANURAG KASHYAP

- JYOTHI VENKATESH

Hailed as a maverick filmmaker with a mind of his own, who is interested in experimenting with all genres of films, whether it is PAANCH, NO SMOKING, GULAL OR GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, ANURAG KASHYAP is one filmmaker who believes in making the kinds of films that he is making.

Today, as he celebrates his 50th birthday, I reproduce this old interview taken with ANURAG KASHYAP after the world premiere of GANGS OF WASSEYPUR 2 at Siri Fort Auditorium which was jam packed with around 2000 people watching it almost 11 years ago.

Ramgopal Verma's two part film RAKTHCHARITRA was a disaster. What are your expectations from your sequel to GANGS OF WASSEYPUR?

I have always maintained that in a two part film, the second one has got to be better than the first one. I'd say that GANGS OF WASSEYPUR 2 is more fun and less of a documentary. I should be honest enough to confess to you that GANGS OF WASSEYPUR 1 exceeded our expectations and I am now looking forward to the public as well as the media verdict to GANGS OF WASSEYPUR 2. I'd not hesitate to state that GANGS OF WASSEYPUR is my best work till date.

How would you evaluate your growth as a filmmaker over the years?

I'd be honest enough to confess that over the years, as a filmmaker, I have become very dishonest. If I continue to be honest, I do not think that I can continue to make the kind of films that I am making today. I'd say that the system has now made me dishonest.

What is Cinema according to you?

Cinema is one medium through which we are able to discover culture and time. It is through cinema that I set out to see the world when I did not have a passport. I have also grown with Cinema.

Can you throw some light on your project BOMBAY VELVET?