Why Anurag Kashyap is 'fed up with making films'
What's the story
Renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, whose films have often graced the Cannes Film Festival, is currently at the event to explore cinema's evolving landscape. Speaking to film critic Sucharita Tyagi, he confessed to feeling disillusioned with filmmaking and seeking clarity. "I am here to figure out a lot of things. I am very fed up with making films," he said.
Industry insights
Kashyap on global challenges of cinema
Kashyap further elaborated on his discontent, saying, "On one hand, there is AI. And with the current state of the film industry... I don't know what is being made, or why it is being made." "So I've come here because this isn't a problem particular to India. Filmmakers across the world are facing it, even in Hollywood, everywhere."
Emerging talent
Why Kashyap is at Cannes this year
One of the main reasons behind Kashyap's presence at Cannes this year is to witness new voices in cinema and how young directors are reshaping storytelling. He said, "There are 11 new filmmakers making their debut in competition, and that's why I've come." "I wanted to understand what these new filmmakers are doing. I've been watching a lot of their work, and it's actually been very rewarding, the way they are breaking rules, the way they are approaching cinema."
Red carpet obsession
On the attention shifting to the red carpet
Kashyap also slammed India's fixation with Cannes's famed red carpet. He remarked, "In India, the obsession with Cannes is only about walking the red carpet. People don't understand that there is a festival beyond it and that its purpose extends far beyond the red carpet." "Even many of the Indians coming for the market or the Indian pavilion are barely watching films."
Festival approach
Kashyap's next film is 'Bandar'
Kashyap also revealed that attending film festivals helps him regain perspective when he feels creatively stuck. "I've come here to figure out the way forward, because whenever I feel lost, I don't know what to do next, then I start touring the film festivals." His current project, Bandar, starring Bobby Deol, is set for release on June 5. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).