Nishaanchi teaser: Anurag Kashyap promises a wild, filmy ride into the masala heartland. Watch

Also Read | ‘Dhadak 2 is a punch in the gut’: Anurag Kashyap hails Karan Johar’s film, compares it to works of Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra

But perhaps the most revealing moment of meta-commentary comes later in the teaser, when a voiceover says: “The story of Nishaanchi is brought to you by the most hopelessly film director, Anurag Kashyap.” It’s both a jab and a wink. Nishaanchi also carries the weight of anticipation, especially as Kashyap’s last directorial venture, Kennedy, starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone, has yet to see a release despite premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Anurag Kashyap expressed his frustration: “I have made five films that are lying unreleased. Where is Kennedy? And whose hands is Kennedy in? It’s in the hands of some people who’ve never made films before. People who made Kennedy in the studio are all gone. And now, the people who are there, the directive given to them is to up the share prices, generate profits, cost recovery… That’s all there is. Nobody is interested in films. It doesn’t matter if Kennedy went to Cannes; it doesn’t matter if it had such a massive reception at festivals. Forget outside India, they’ve seen the reception in India, but where is the film?”