Anurag Kashyap on meeting and supporting Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga: ‘People will realise the film’s impact 5-10 years down the line’

When Anurag Kashyap posted a photo with Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the director of the controversial film Animal, criticised for his depiction of misogyny and violence, he received a lot of flak from peers and fans. The filmmaker recently joined his daughter Aaliyah Kashyap on her podcast, Young, Dumb & Anxious, where he discussed his decision to post a photo with Sandeep and promote him. Anurag shared insights on cancel culture, the evolution of filmmaking, and his experiences with criticism in the film industry.

“I met him, I like him. I like the guy. I’ve had questions of my own and I wanted to talk to him about his film. I invited him and I had a long five-hour conversation and I like the guy,” Anurag shared.

During the conversation, Aaliyah Kashyap expressed her disappointment with her father Anurag Kashyap’s Instagram post promoting Sandeep Reddy Vanga after they had both criticised his film. “The caption of the post where you were promoting the guy which I was not very happy about. I actually saw Animal and called you immediately and ranted, ‘What a horrible, misogynistic movie it is and how much I hated it,’ and you agreed with me. A week later when I opened Instagram, I saw a post from my father, promoting a man I was b*tching about,” said Aliyah.

Anurag reflected on his own experiences with being cancelled for his films, such as Dev D and Gangs of Wasseypur, which were initially labelled as ‘misogynistic’. “You were much younger when your father was cancelled for his films. After Dev D came out, I was cancelled by a lot of people. I was the untouchable guy. People said, ‘What a misogynistic film!’ Gangs of Wasseypur was also met with a similar fate even though my characters had agencies. I have often seen people isolating someone, attacking someone and that is not the way to be,” recalled the filmmaker.

He further emphasised the importance of not isolating individuals and engaging in constructive dialogue instead. Anurag Kashyap also discussed his past as a blogger, where he would often express anger and criticism towards the film industry, leading to isolation and misunderstandings. “I don’t understand social media, but before social media, there were blogs and I was a blogger. I used to do the same thing against the whole industry because I used to think that the whole industry was my enemy. I was very hard and angry and everything. I would talk about Karan Johar and other people in the industry. I remember, post Dabangg, I got into a fight with Salman Khan. I mean I started ranting against him. I had a lot of anger within me. I also got isolated without people understanding. Over the period of time, people started seeing things differently and I don’t like cancel culture at all. If I don’t like a film, I will ask the person my questions directly, if I know them.”

Over time, Anurag realised the value of addressing issues directly with filmmakers and questioning them about their work rather than publicly attacking them on social media. “A lot of people we look up to and think that they’re feminist, activists etc., are preposterous and not real at all. Sandeep is what you see. People may like Animal or may dislike it, but Animal is a major tectonic shift in the way films will be made,” he said.

The Gangs of Wasseypur director also praised Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s work, highlighting Animal as a game-changer in the industry. “People will realise its impact 5-10 years down the line. Post Animal, every action looks fake. For example, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. All those flips and the music in those scenes, the technical details in Animal had an impact on the audience. Anybody could have issues with the characters and storytelling. I myself had many but I would rather ask the person and talk to him directly. When I like something, I would champion it in front of the world. If I don’t like anything, I don’t have to say anything because it involves as much hard work and passion,” said Anurag.

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Anurag Kashyap acknowledged that while not everyone may appreciate Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s films, it is crucial to recognise the passion and effort that goes into creating them. Reflecting on his own journey, Anurag admitted that he used to be highly reactive but has since learned to handle criticism more effectively. He no longer rates movies and chooses to focus on his journey within the industry. The filmmaker added, “I have addressed a lot of people. Sometimes he (Sandeep) is very reactive and I feel he shouldn’t react so much. I think it is his journey. Who am I to say anything because I have been a guy who would react to everything and face the consequences. It is easy to put someone in a bracket versus understanding their journey.”

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