Anurag Kashyap Slams Indian Theatrical Ecosystem for Neglecting Non-Blockbusters

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has hit out at the Indian theatrical ecosystem for bleeding non-blockbuster Hindi films dry like the recently released, 'Bandar' and Imtiaz Ali's 'Main Vaapas Aaunga' on screen count and show timings, while Hollywood releases like 'Obsession' continue to enjoy significantly better showcasing. In a candid interview recently, Kashyap argued that the industry's fixation on event movies, citing the Ranveer Singh starrer 'Dhurandhar' as the rare blockbuster and 'event movie' that justifies the model is creating a self-defeating cycle where only expensive films get made, word-of-mouth for smaller films is never allowed to build and audiences are steadily pushed toward OTT consumption. Kashyap also recalled a time when fellow filmmakers Rajkumar Hirani, Aamir Khan and Siddharth Roy Kapur personally intervened to ensure his 2014 film 'Ugly' got three shows alongside 'PK' and lamented that such solidarity no longer exists.

'I get angry': Anurag Kashyap on fans who loved his films, on OTT, never in theatres

In a conversation with HT City, Kashyap begins with a familiar frustration that he has apparently stopped trying to suppress. "I get angry, upset because people keep coming to me and talking about how they love this film and that film. I often ask them, 'Where did you see it?' and nobody has actually seen it in theatres. I'm quite used to it," he says.

When 'PK's makers made room for 'Ugly': 'That time is gone now'

There was, Kashyap recalls, a brief window when the industry operated differently when filmmaker solidarity and a shared belief in cinema as a collective effort could override pure commercial earnings. Recounting the release of his 2014 film 'Ugly' alongside Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan's blockbuster 'PK', Kashyap shared a story which comes across as a far cry from today's theatrical reality. Kashyap recalled, "Ugly had a release in France before India. It came out on Blu-ray and subsequently got on pirate sites, so we had to rush the release back home. At that time PK was running so many shows in cinemas. I made a call to Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ronnie Screwvala and Raju Hirani, and we released Ugly in finally at least three shows, they made sure that our film got it." Kashyap concludes, "That time is gone now. I can understand the theatrical business is business. They want to make money right now, and Obsession is working. But my thing is, Obsession can still survive on less shows. It will still work with five shows, people will still see it. If not today, they will see it tomorrow."

'Theatre owners don't allow word-of-mouth to build': Kashyap on the broken theatrical model

During the same conversation, Kashyap went on to argue how Indian exhibition chains are making decisions that damage not just individual films but the long-term health of the entire industry. "Films should get proper shows so that people can watch them, allowing word of mouth to build up. The thing is, theatre owners themselves don't allow the word of mouth to build up. Then the problem is there's an audience that's not getting to see these films and they're getting used to seeing them on OTT. You're not building your audience — you're building an audience only for event movies," Kashyap opined. Kashyap continued, "If you are building an audience only for event movies, then only those movies will be made. They are so expensive, and the hit-and-miss ratio is huge. For every Dhurandhar, there will be five expensive films that will bomb. Whereas these films are not so expensive and one needs to build word of mouth."

'Bandar's night shows were full but who will watch it at 9 AM?' : Kashyap on his own recently released film

Kashyap shared his frustration with a contrast between his own two films currently in theatres and the very different way in which bad show timing affects audience psychology depending on the nature of the film. He recounted booking a ticket for 'Main Vaapas Aaunga' on a Saturday, only to find a single early morning show available. "There was only one show. Now it has increased to three shows in the cinema nearby. But it was just one show early in the morning then. We went at 9:40 am to see the film in a cinema. The word of mouth is not allowed to build up. Slowly people give up on it because they're like, 'Okay, it's an inconvenient time and we'll see it when it comes on OTT,'" Kashyap stated. The filmmaker continued, "Bandar's night shows were full. But who will go and watch it at 9 AM, when it is going to upset you for the rest of the day! There's human psychology also involved. If I watch my own film, the rest of my day will be ruined. Main Vaapas Aaunga is not like Bandar, it should have had more shows. It's emotional, soulful, has everything that's good about commercial films. I can still understand for Bandar. "

More about 'Bandar'

Directed by Anurag Kashyap, 'Bandar' (internationally released as 'Monkey in a Cage') is a dark, gritty crime thriller and legal drama inspired by real-life events. Written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, the adult-rated film features a powerhouse lead performance by Bobby Deol, alongside a stellar ensemble cast including Saba Azad, Sapna Pabbi, and Sanya Malhotra. True to Kashyap’s signature style, the narrative dives into heavy contemporary themes like false accusations and the toxic nature of social media trials. While Bandar garnered significant critical momentum following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the film has managed to rake up Rs. 4.04 crore at the box office, by Day 11, according to Sacnilk.