Director Anurag Kashyap roars from the dark side of Bollywood

When he’s not tearing industry colleagues down on his famous blog, Anurag Kashyap writes and directs films with so much firepower they often struggle to see the light of day. Or at least the light of the big screen.

Stuck at the Indian censor board, his 2000 directorial debut, “Paanch,” still hasn't been released. After numerous ‘official’ delays “Black Friday,” his 2004 Hindi film about the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, wasn’t released until 2007.

But 2009 was different. Kashyap’s “Dev D,” an intoxicating, postmodern riff on “Devdas,” the classic Indian love tragedy, won him a much-deserved wider audience and reputation as one of the coolest filmmakers in contemporary Hindi cinema.

From this lofty perch, the 37-year-old firebrand director fielded our questions and shot back opinions in the brutally frank, scattershot style that’s become synonymous with his films.

On “Kaminey” (this year's path breaking new Bollywood film)

“I’m sorry, I’m hung over. We’ve been up all night with Vishal [Bhardwaj] and the boys. I think Vishal’s film “Kaminey” is going to rewrite how Hindi films are going to be made. What a film. What a tease. I’ve seen it three times already … This is how change happens. The only way to fight [the industry] is from within.”

On dead Hollywood

“The West is looking at India because they think India is the money. Let’s take advantage of that, take our cinema out. Hollywood has exhausted itself. They’re making endless remakes and digging up comic heroes. We have a wide-open canvas.”

On dead Bollywood

“Cinema-goers, the middle class, they follow film reviews these days like they followed the elections. They watch all the movies on DVD, not just going to the cinema, which has become an expensive outing these days. The point is, they don’t blindly trust a Yash Raj [maker of formulaic Bollywood cinema] anymore.”

On Indians’ emotional needs

“Indians like to be served. We want the filmmaker to explain everything. Someone told me this recently and I thought it was so true, that we’re ‘hooked to emotional c*m shots.’”

On yet another sexual metaphor

“I want to make films like so much foreplay. Go into the scene late, come out early. Keep the discussion going. Let the film have resale value after it’s off the screen instead of pure pop culture.”

On the end of vain actors

“Actors are letting go of their vanity. Everyone wants the respect that Aamir Khan gets.”

On feudal filmmakers and young talent

“India has no lack of talent, no lack of writers or filmmakers or spirit. Where I am now, the best talent in India comes to my door. I can spot talent. I get 11 scripts a day, of which nine are brilliant. UTV Spot Boy is where it is today because one man turned it around with nothing. There are people who want to work for free. But it’s the feudal attitude of dynastic filmmakers and that won’t go … We need more good producers.”

Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming films include a thriller with John Abraham titled “Bombay Velvet,” and an action film with Kunal Kapoor tentatively titled “Doga,” to be produced by Sony International.