Anurag Kashyap Says He’s No Longer In Touch With Vicky Kaushal, Calls Chhaava Exploitative
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently spoke candidly about his once-close collaborator, actor Vicky Kaushal, revealing that they are no longer in touch.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently spoke candidly about his once-close collaborator, actor Vicky Kaushal, revealing that they are no longer in touch. The two worked together on films like Raman Raghav 2.0, Manmarziyaan, and Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat. Anurag is often credited with introducing Vicky to Hindi cinema, nurturing him through more independent projects before the actor went on to headline blockbuster hits.
When asked about Vicky’s major successes, including Uri: The Surgical Strike and Chhaava, Anurag emphasized that he does not begrudge the actor for choosing his own path. However, he admitted that he wasn’t particularly fond of Chhaava’s exploitative approach.
Anurag Kashyap on Vicky Kaushal
In a recent interview with The Lallantop, Anurag said he only watched parts of Chhaava, especially the climactic torture sequence, for his friend Vineet Kumar Singh, who played a supporting role. On Vicky’s performance in the lead role, he stated, “I don’t have much interaction with him much these days. I don’t judge him, because every person has their own reasons… I don’t repeat myself. What I wanted to say, I said.”
On leaving Mumbai and the industry’s shift
Anurag reflected on his decision to step away from Bollywood, citing the industry’s growing focus on money over creativity. “This is why I left Mumbai. Every person has their own ambitions, and it is up to them on how they choose to achieve them. It’s not my responsibility. It took me a while to detach myself. But the atmosphere in Bollywood has become more money-minded. People are looking at ‘crores’ in their decision-making. This is what I ran away from. I don’t want to return to that world.”
Anurag Kashyap didn't like Chhaava
About Chhaava, Anurag was critical of its emotional approach: “More than Chhaava, it felt like The Passion of the Christ. Mujhe nahi jami (I didn’t like it). The emotion that was being created out of discomfort, I don’t appreciate. I basically watched it for Vineet. I don’t want to judge. I didn’t understand the filmmaker’s storytelling choices, but others did. That’s why I’m not a part of the mainstream; I’m a more romantic sort of person.” He added that he agrees the film could be described as exploitative, and admitted he couldn’t sit through it fully. “I’ve stopped watching Hindi films anyway. I watched Dhadak 2, Laapataa Ladies, and Chamkila, that’s it.”
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