Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap speaking at the Bangalore International Film Festival on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SINDHU NAGARAJ
For filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, the biggest fear is not being able to make the kind of cinema he wants to make. He believes he can not make Gangs of Wasseypur or Gulaal or Mukkabaaz today, and even if he does, they would come under the sword of censorship.
Speaking at the 17th Bangalore International Film Festival, 2026, during the session “Fearless Filmmaking” on Saturday (January 31, 2026), Anurag said, “Gangs of Wasseypur or Mukkabaaz would not have been made today because of the themes I chose to tell the story with. And, if they were released, they would have been heavily censored.”
Anurag, known for his iconic films like Gangs of Wasseypur and Dev.D, said that many honest filmmakers are trying to find a way out of the censorship battle. “India is still better, it gives me hope. If filmmakers can make cinema in Russia and China, we also can,” he said in conversation with critic and writer Baradwaj Rangan. “Movies which engender important conversations will be made in India, at some point. We just need to wait,” he added.
‘Made for big screen’
Films have always been made for big screen, but owing to OTT platforms and convenience, people choose to watch it on smaller devices like phones and laptops, he said. “When I made Nishaanchi, I envisioned it in such a way that it should be made and watched on the big screen. But, times are changing now. People watch films at their convenience. The format has destroyed the way people watch cinema,” he said.
“The joy of cinema is watching it on big screen. You can’t watch Mera Naam Joker or Sholay on a phone. These films are made for the theatre experience, and it’s a disgrace if they are watched otherwise,” said Anurag.
Calling himself an OTT filmmaker even before OTT platforms came about, he said, “People download my films on Torrents. I’m used to my films becoming popular four years after they released”.
Asked about some of the examples fearless films in India, Anurag named Bad Girl, Sabar Bonda, and Jugnuma as great examples.
Social media has become a film critic, Anurag said. “Social media is too quick to judge anything that is out there. There are immediate reactions on social media but I feel we can only truly judge films over a period of time.”
Anurag said misogyny and patriarchy exist in the country which is why they are reflected in the films as well. “I can’t separate myself from that world, and because discourse is missing, these films get backlash when they are released,” he says.
‘Toxic trailer was great’
On asked what he felt about the trailer of Kannada film Toxic, Anurag said the trailer was good, and because of social media, it got unnecessary hate. “When a woman is in control of her sexuality and enjoys it on screen, it becomes a problem, but when men do it, people don’t say anything. It’s because social media controls the narrative, this blew out of proportion”.
Published – January 31, 2026 10:35 pm IST
