Anurag Kashyap says Netflix responded to Scam 1992’s success by firing the executive who overlooked it; claims OTT platforms ‘dumbing down’ content

Known for never holding back while speaking his mind or standing for what he believes is right, Anurag Kashyap has fired a fresh salvo at Netflix, claiming that the streaming giant no longer prioritises making good content. He further maintained that Netflix’s reaction to the success of Hansal Mehta’s biographical financial thriller series Scam 1992 was to show the person on their team the door for overlooking the show. It’s worth recalling that Scam 1992 premiered on SonyLIV and went on to become one of its biggest successes.

He also mentioned that once streaming platforms provided audiences direct access to films and shows from across the world, people realised that Indian works weren’t up to the mark. “They feel that our films and shows are falling short, compared to what people create in other parts of the world. There’s a direct comparison happening. Meanwhile, we (the makers) are trying to dumb it down so much in a bid to get the audience that was watching television soap operas. They consumed such shows for free. What happened when Sacred Games came out? There was no Netflix in India, but people bought a subscription to watch the show. Therefore, you must create something that people will watch. The same holds true for Paatal Lok and Scam 1992,” he shared during a chat with Galatta Plus. Kashyap added, “Scam 1992 changed the life of SonyLIV. You create a great show, and what’s Netflix’s reaction? ‘Who passed Scam? Fire that person.’ That’s how they do it.”

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This, however, is not the first time he has directly attacked Netflix and its head, Ted Sarandos. In June this year, he tore into the streaming giant for allegedly failing to understand the nuances of Indian audiences and storytelling. “I started a debate because the problem is, they do the same kind of sh**y stuff because they don’t understand India. For example, I wrote about Ted Sarandos. And I wrote about how they understand India only as it’s taught to them. He doesn’t understand India. So whatever the India office tells them, they believe that bulls**t. They totally believe that bulls**t.” he shared during an interview with The Juggernaut.

Prior to that, he had gone as far as to call Sarandos “dumb” after the latter expressed that Sacred Games might perhaps not have been the ideal way to enter the Indian market. “He should have started with Saas Bahu… he would have done well. Which he is doing now. I always knew the tech guys are dumb when it comes to storytelling but Ted Sarandos is the definition of dumb is what I didn’t know. Good to discover that. This explains everything now,” Kashyap wrote on Instagram. The filmmaker is gearing up for the release of his new directorial venture, Nishaanchi, which will hit the screens on September 19.