Anurag Kashyap, Mira Nair, Nandita Das named in Epstein Files: Why it doesn’t imply misconduct, close allegiance with the sex trafficker

Particularly the three names from the Indian entertainment industry, which have surfaced in the Epstein Files, have rather remote associations with Epstein or even his close circle. If finer details are examined, here’s exactly where the names of these three Indian directors show up in the Epstein Files.

Anurag Kashyap

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, best known for helming critically acclaimed movies like Black Friday (2004), Dev.D (2009), and the Gangs of Wasseypur franchise (2012), was recently referred to as “the Bollywood guy” in Epstein Files. Kashyap’s name is mentioned only in the passing as “a famous Bollywood director” along with the likes of computer scientist Ben Goertzel, researcher Bruce Damer, and DJ Spooky.

Kashyap was mentioned as a potential invitee at a proposed event in Shanghai, which entailed workshops on Buddhism, technology, and medicine. It’s part of the email exchanges between Epstein and psychiatrist Giuseppe Bersani, and educators Gino Yu and Ornella Corazza. However, there’s no evidence of Kashyap’s attendance at any of these events.

Mira Nair

Another name that’s cropping up the most is of filmmaker Mira Nair, best known for helming Monsoon Wedding (2001), The Namesake (2006), and A Suitable Boy (2020). As per the files, she attended an “after party” for a film at the townhouse of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, as mentioned in one of the emails.

The after party took place after the screening of a film, which is likely to be Nair’s 2010 Hollywood movie Amelia, starring Hillary Swank as aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, opposite Richard Gere. Not only Nair and the film’s leads, but former US President Bill Clinton and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos were also present at the event. “Film received tepid reaction although women like it much more,” states the email exchanged between publicist Peggy Siegal and the email address “jeevacation@gmail.com”.

While Nair’s passing mention also doesn’t imply any misconduct or close links to Epstein and his associates like Maxwell, her name has been blown out of proportion online thanks to her association with US politics. Her son, former rapper Zohran Mamdani, was recently appointed as the mayor of New York City. Even Artificial Intelligence-generated pictures of Mira and Zohran with Epstein, Maxwell, and others are doing the rounds on social media.

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Nandita Das

The third name that’s cropped up from the Indian entertainment landscape in Epstein Files is that of actor-filmmaker Nandita Das. But her link to Epstein is limited to the fact that both of them were invited as speakers by Jem Bendell, a professor of sustainability at the University of Cumbria, at the Lake District Festival in the UK, along with author Charles Eisenstein and PR guru Lynne Frank.