Anurag Kashyap: 'If A Star Wants To Work With Me, They Have To Leave Their Stardom At Home' - EXCLUSIVE
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is known for his fearless storytelling and equally unapologetic views. Ahead of the release of his directorial Nishaanchi starring Aaishvary Thackeray & Vedika Pinto, the maverick director opened up in a candid conversation with The Free Press Journal about the casting process, working with newcomers, and why he consciously avoids working with 'stars'. He also revealed why his first choice for Nishaanchi - late Sushant Singh Rajput - could not be a part of the movie.
Revealing that SSR was initially supposed to headline Nishaanchi, Anurag said, “Sushant Singh Rajput was supposed to do the film and then he disappeared. I have gone through a lot of actors. It’s not that… But every time you would go to an actor because the actors also have ambitions to be stars and they have a certain idea of how to be a star. I just wanted somebody who believed in the film. But I dealt with actors who were like constantly wanted to do this or that, or change this or that. A little alteration, but everybody loved the script. But till the time the faith is not in front of you, I can’t do the film. It’s really so.”
Talking about why many actors hesitate to collaborate with him, Anurag shared, “I have had big stars walk to me and tell me they want to do something like Dev D, or they want to do something like Manmarziyaan, or they want to do something like Gangs of Wasseypur. But I said, I’ve already done that. So the thing is, if somebody really wants to work with you, they’ll work with you in whatever way. Like I’ve just done a film with Bobby Deol, and it was a completely new thing that I was dealing with, and he came and he worked with me, and I was very happy. I don’t have a problem. But the thing is, you have to find that trust from the actor.”
The filmmaker also admitted he prefers working with fresh talent rather than established stars. “I don’t want to work with stars because stars come with a fan base. And then they cater to that fan base. For me, I want to make my films. I want to make my films. If a star wants to work with me, then they have to leave their stardom at home and come and work in a film. When you’re working on a film, you’re working. You’re doing a job. You’re creating something. It’s not a holiday. It’s not some kind of vanity exercise. It’s not the Met Gala. You know, it’s just… We’re making a film. Yeah, that’s true. So, I’m very happy to work with newcomers, with actors who are hungry to do something. I want to do that.”
Sharing his final thoughts on today’s crop of debutants, he reflected, “Today the actors do work very hard. But they’re also the ones who take things for granted. They both exist. They always exist. The people who work very hard and the people who take things for granted. They both coexist. You have to separate them.”