Anurag Kashyap's Ugly is a dark psychological thriller on the surface, with layers of emotional drama. The hard-hitting film that received rave reviews at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes International Film Festival 2013 and was declared joint winner of the Jury Prize at the 16th Deauville Asian Film Festival, also won the filmmaker his Best Director trophy at South Korea's Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.

After his realistic, engaging movies like Black Friday, Dev D and Gangs Of Wasseypur series, Ugly is said to be Anurag's most honest so far. The filmmaker could make the film the way he wrote it as he kept the budget in control by casting good talent and shooting in real locations. In his trademark style, the camera is almost watching the story from a distance like a character while following them unobtrusively at the same time. The announcement of the film's release has come as a surprise to the industry.

Behind the scenes
Once, on location in South Mumbai, the shooting was halted by a political party. They thought that a film on the 26/11 terror attacks was being shot.

The traffic sequences were shot at Lonavala because the authorities didn't grant permission to shoot in Mumbai.

The scenes at Bandra station were picturised with the help of cameras placed in residential colonies on the other side. This way, they could shoot all the platform sequences without attracting attention from the public.

Abir Goswami, (who passed away a few months ago) looked so convincing as a police officer that the actual policemen who had come on to the set mistook the actor for their senior.

A flat that Anurag checked for a recce happened to belong to a struggling actor. Impressed with him, the director offered him a role in one of his movies.

Director's take
ANURAG KASHYAP: “Ugly is an emotional story in the garb of a thriller. It comes from the idea of everyone wanting something, but doing nothing about it. There is no other way to tell this story other than keeping it realistic and honest. And that's how all of us, including my actors, my technicians and crew, have made it.“

Ugly, produced by Dar Motion Pictures and Phantom Films, releases December 26.