- Anurag Kashyap has criticized the current state of Hindi cinema.
- He said that Bollywood can't create movies like Pushpa.
- He criticized its obsession with creating cinematic universes.
In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the filmmaker remarked that the Hindi film industry lacks the vision to create groundbreaking cinema like the Telugu blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise or its sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule.
“They don’t understand anything. They can’t even make a Pushpa,” Kashyap stated bluntly. “They cannot, because they don’t have the brains to make a film. They don’t understand what filmmaking is. Pushpa can only be made by Sukumar. In the South, they invest in filmmakers and empower them to make films.”
Highlighting the contrasting approaches, he criticized Bollywood's obsession with creating cinematic universes. “Here, everyone is trying to create a universe. Do they understand their own universe and how minuscule they are in it? That’s the ego. When you create a universe, you think you’re God.”
Pushpa 2: The Rule, directed by Sukumar and starring Allu Arjun, has grossed over ₹1760 crore globally, becoming 2024’s highest-grossing Indian film. Meanwhile, Kashyap expressed frustration with the studio model hindering creative freedom, citing his film Kennedy, which premiered at Cannes, as a victim. “I’ve detached myself from Kennedy because I don’t want it to become like Black Friday,” he said.
