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The internet was left in collective shock a year ago when acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap shared a photo with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga on social media. In the post, Kashyap not only praised Vanga’s blockbuster Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, but also spoke warmly about Vanga as a person, someone he felt was often misunderstood by large sections of the media.
However, it wasn’t just the post that drew attention. Equally headline-grabbing were the reactions from Kashyap’s long-time collaborators and fellow filmmakers, Neeraj Ghaywan and Varun Grover. Ghaywan commented simply, “Cringe,” while Grover wrote, “No.” The terse responses sparked widespread debate online, particularly because all three have previously worked together and are seen as part of the same progressive creative circle.
Now, in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Anurag Kashyap has opened up about what happened after the post, and how he immediately picked up the phone to speak with Varun Grover. “Yeah, absolutely. And no, I can’t share what we spoke about as it is a very private conversation, because I spoke to him about my private conversation with Vanga, which I could share with him, but it’s not for public consumption. For me those are trust things you don’t break,” he explained.
Kashyap also took a firm stance against cancel culture, which he feels can be deeply harmful. “I have a big problem with cancel culture. Whether you agree or disagree with a person, cancelling a person like that sometimes gets to me.” A few months ago, Varun Grover had also reflected on the exchange during an interview with Lallantop, where he spoke in detail about the conversation that followed Kashyap’s post. “The special thing about Anurag Kashyap is that he has an open heart and mind,” Grover recalled. “He immediately talks, immediately tries to understand you. So, within half an hour, he called and said, ‘Explain to me. What happened? What’s the problem here?’ So we talked, and he agreed, he said, ‘Yeah, you’re in the right.’ Even later, I went to meet him and we’ve talked about it many times since then.”
Anurag Kashyap is currently gearing up for the release of his next directorial, Nishaanchi, which hits theatres this Friday. Meanwhile, Sandeep Reddy Vanga is busy preparing for his highly anticipated project Spirit, starring Prabhas.
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