Shamayita C (BOMBAY TIMES; February 8, 2020)

Anurag Kashyap was recently in Kolkata to inaugurate a film festival. In a chat before the event, the filmmaker spoke about his take on film festivals, his love-hate relationship with social media and more. Excerpts:

You have mentioned that film festivals played an important role in you becoming a filmmaker...
True. I used to go to these festivals and watch all sorts of films. I wanted to be part of filmmaking business only after watching these films. Sirf Bollywood dekhte toh I could never have become a filmmaker. Films screened at these festivals help you grow. They broaden your perspective.

Writer, director, actor, producer — which role suits you the best?
Writer-director. I think I am most comfortable as a writer and a director.

Which one is your favourite Anurag Kashyap film?
I don’t know (laughs). I always say, ‘That’s going to be the next one’ (laughs).

You share a very interesting relationship with social media. Your take.
I think, social media is a curse (laughs). Initially, it was very empowering. It gave voice to people. But when some people learnt to speak up, others decided to manipulate social media. Now, there is so much of data that is being misused. Information is being controlled and lies are being spread. Once, after I retweeted something, I realised it was fake news and I fell for that. So, you have to extra careful. Else, you cannot differentiate between the real and the unreal.

In this era of online streaming platforms, how do you see the future of movie halls, especially single-screen theatres?
Cinema halls will co-exist with online streaming platforms. While people will continue watching intimate films online, they will go to the theatre for other films. For song-and-dance movies, the audience still prefers to go to cinema halls. The content of Indian cinema needs to improve. Only a strong content can make a film work. Now, people across the world watch our films. So, they can compare. Their expectation is much higher. It doesn’t matter if it is for big or small screen, I will continue making films.