Agnihotri alleges Kashyap's alcoholism impacted 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal'
What's the story
Directors Anurag Kashyap and Vivek Agnihotri's long-standing feud has taken a new turn. The dispute, which started during the making of Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal in 2007, infamously turned into a public war of words. Two months ago, Agnihotri accused Kashyap's alcoholism of causing major issues on set. In response, Kashyap called Agnihotri a "jhootha aadmi (liar)." Now, Agnihotri has responded to this accusation in an interview with YouTuber Siddharth Kannan.
Allegations
'Kashyap's alcoholism affected my film'
Agnihotri doubled down on his earlier claims about Kashyap's drinking habits, but clarified that he doesn't think Kashyap is a bad person. He said, "Yes, I had talked about his drinking habits, and that's the truth. But that doesn't mean someone who drinks alcohol is a bad person." He added, "I never said Anurag is a bad guy."
Praise
Agnihotri lauds Kashyap's work
Despite the allegations, Agnihotri praised Kashyap's contribution to cinema. He said, "Anurag is a wonderful guy, Anurag's contribution to Indian cinema is unprecedented." "There can be only one Anurag Kashyap, there can never be two. When the history of cinema is written, people will remember his work." However, he added, "My film suffered because of his alcoholism. What's wrong in saying that?" "I, too, used to drink heavily at one point, and many of my works suffered because of it."
Defense
'Around 300-400 people worked on that film...'
When asked about his previous claim that Kashyap had handed off his work to Vikramaditya Motwane, something Kashyap has again denied, Agnihotri stood by his statement. He said, "That's also truth. You can ask the company that hired them. What more can I say?" "Around 300-400 people worked on that film, you can ask them as well. Ask the company who signed the contract with him."
Earlier comments
What did Agnihotri say earlier?
The controversy first erupted in May when Agnihotri spoke about the impact of Kashyap's drinking habits on Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. He said, "Anurag was a heavy drinker back then, and he couldn't be trusted." "He brought Vikramaditya Motwane on board... Gradually, he palmed off all the work to Vikram." "But they had a different vision for the film, which didn't match with mine."
Response
The war of words continued
In response, Kashyap had denied the allegations on Instagram Stories, calling Agnihotri a liar. He wrote, "Kitna jhootha hai yeh aadmi (This man is such a liar)." Both filmmakers are now gearing up for their respective releases. Agnihotri's The Bengal Files and Kashyap's Nishaanchi are expected to release in theaters on September 5 and September 19, respectively.