Anurag Kashyap says he feels ‘guilty’ about asking Vicky Kaushal to do his films now, because he can no longer afford him

Anurag Kashyap said that both Vicky Kaushal and Nawazuddin Siddiqui would work for him for free if he were to ask them, but he doesn't want to abuse this privilege because he feels guilty.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | September 2, 2023 07:55 PM IST

2 min read

Vicky Kaushal starred in Anurag Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0, after working as his assistant on Gangs of Wasseypur.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap said that he feels guilty about asking actors such as Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vicky Kaushal to do his films now because he knows that their market value is far greater than what his budget can accommodate. But, he said, they agree to work with him for free when he asks.

Anurag, in an interview with Zoom Entertainment, said that he doesn’t want to abuse this privilege with them, even if he knows that they won’t say no to him. He said that Nawaz told him not to worry about money when he did Raman Raghav 2.0, and Vicky didn’t charge him a penny for his extended cameo in Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat. Anurag’s films have provided a huge platform to both actors when they were trying to make their mark.

Also read | Anurag Kashyap decodes Gadar 2’s box office success, praises filmmakers for not creating animosity between communities

He said, “I’m not afraid of making films with very good actors, at a time when I can afford them, and my costs are so low that I have nothing to lose. If you ask me today if I can make Raman Raghav at the same cost with Vicky, I can’t, because his market value is high.” When it was pointed out that they’d probably slash their fees for him, he said, “It’s a two-way thing. If I’m making a low-budget film, Vicky will come and do it for free, which is a burden for me. Of course, I feel guilty. Vicky did Almost Pyaar for me. He came, he gave me his dates, he charged me nothing.”

Anurag said that he didn’t know how to tell Nawaz that he could no longer afford him when he was putting Raman Raghav 2.0 together. It was Nawaz who told him to stop worrying about money. The filmmaker did, however, admit that he doesn’t hesitate to reach out to people he considers near and dear to him, if he feels they haven’t done good work. And this includes Vicky.

From the homepage