Anurag Kashyap recently shared in an interview, “In Bollywood, it feels like I’m seen as the enemy of the state,” as he discussed the contrasts between the South Indian film industry and Bollywood, explaining why he feels more comfortable in the former.

Having just made his Malayalam acting debut in Aashiq Abu’s Rifle Club, Anurag opened up about his role as the villain in the film and how the experience allowed him to truly appreciate the filmmaking journey.

Anurag Kashyap: Bollywood is all about those box-office crores

In a chat with Gulf News, the director of Gangs of Wasseypur expressed, “Hindi cinema lacks the guts to make a film like this. (Bollywood) is all about raking in Rs 500-600 crores; they’re fixated on box office numbers. It’s ruining cinema, and everything is turning into a formula,” he shared.

When questioned about why he can’t be the one to spark change, he mentioned that it’s getting harder for him to pitch a movie without a reference point. “They’ll just say, ‘I’m not sure if this will work because there’s nothing to compare it to.’ I can only market a film by saying it’s similar to that blockbuster,” he clarified.

Anurag also took on the role of an arms dealer from Mangalore in a Malayalam thriller and received praise for his performance as the antagonist in Vijay Sethupathi’s Tamil hit Maharaja earlier this year.

Anurag Kashyap explains his recent distance from Bollywood

The director mentioned that he feels a lot of “love and respect from the audience, filmmakers, and the filmmaking community” in the South. He added, “In Bollywood, they see me as the enemy. I’m working more in the South than in Hindi films, and honestly, I’m much happier. Right now, I feel pretty disconnected from the Hindi film scene. I’ve found my people here; they’re genuine.”

He also talked about his collaboration with Malayalam actor Indrajith Sukumaran and pointed out that the absence of a star system in the South has really contributed to creating better films.

In Bollywood, you’ll find a bunch of vanity vans. Everyone tends to keep to themselves with their teams. The real magic at Rifle Club came from the actors being together constantly, even when they weren’t filming, he explained. “In the Hindi film industry, once a scene wraps, they retreat to their own bubbles, caught up in social media and meetings. They’re not really focused on the film, and there’s a lack of chemistry among them. We end up having to build that chemistry ourselves.”

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