From Sanjeev Kumar starrer Aandhi to the present-day movies, political cinema in India has often faced resistance.
Aandhi ran into trouble, for it was said to be loosely based on Indira Gandhi, then India’s Prime Minister.
The film was banned a few months after his release.
Now, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has endorsed the view that movies must be mindful of the political environment.
During an event in Bengaluru, he spoke about directors being conscious of sensitive issues that could invite scrutiny.
The filmmaker was part of a session titled Fearless Film Making. The session was moderated by film critic Baradwaj Rangan. During the discussion, Anurag spoke about cinema, politics, and technology. He reflected on how changing times have impacted filmmaking in India.
He was quoted as saying, “In today’s times, making films like Gangs of Wasseypur or Black Friday is impossible. Some subjects have become politically sensitive and lead to controversies. Directors from countries like Iran or Russia are making films despite facing far greater restrictions than us.”
“Indian directors should draw inspiration from them.”
Black Friday was his first released film. It was based on the Mumbai Police investigation into the 1993 Bombay blasts. The film starred Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, and Pawan Malhotra. Gangs of Wasseypur was a two-part crime drama featuring Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Huma Qureshi, Pankaj Tripathi, Piyush Mishra, and Zeeshan Ayyub.”
Asked about the lack of political films in mainstream cinema, he reportedly said, “In Germany, films against Hitler came only after Hitler died. Everything requires its own time.” He most recently directed the two-part film Nishaanchi. Part 1 was released in theatres last year.
Part 2 was released directly on streaming. His delayed film Kennedy, starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone, will be released in India on Zee5. No release date has been announced.
Also Read: Anurag Kashyap Divulge That His Parents Borrowed Money For His Education https://www.vibesofindia.com/anurag-kashyap-divulge-that-his-parents-borrowed-money-for-his-education/
