Renowned Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently revealed a tumultuous chapter in his career that plunged him into a distressing period marked by alcoholism and depression. In an conversation with The Washington Post, Kashyap, celebrated for his contributions to Indian cinema, reflected on the fallout from the controversy surrounding the series “Tandav” and its profound impact on his professional and personal life.
The uproar stemmed from objectionable content in “Tandav,” particularly a scene featuring Lord Shiva portrayed by actor Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub, which drew significant political criticism aimed at the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video. Subsequently, Netflix distanced itself from Kashyap’s adaptation of Suketu Mehta’s revered work, “Maximum City,” ultimately leading to the shelving of the project. Despite no explicit communication from Netflix, Kashyap inferred potential reasons, suspecting the content’s provocative nature or being perceived as a liability to the platform.
Kashyap expressed profound disappointment over the setback, describing “Maximum City” as his most authentic and significant creation to date, reflecting his investment of substantial time and effort into the project. The filmmaker admitted that this phase took a toll on his mental health, resulting in excessive alcohol consumption and, shockingly, two heart attacks.
“Maximum City was where all my energy went. I was heartbroken. I totally lost it. After the film got shelved, I went into deep depression and took to drinking alcohol.”
He also revealed that he suffered two heart attacks during this period, “Streaming was finally the space I was waiting for. The disappointment is it was supposed to be a revolution, but it was not. Like social media, it was supposed to empower people, but it became a tool”.
His critique extended beyond personal challenges, lamenting the trajectory of OTT platforms, drawing parallels to the disillusionment seen in social media’s evolution. Kashyap, who notably pioneered the OTT wave with Vikramaditya Motwane through the groundbreaking series “Sacred Games,” starring Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, emphasized his initial anticipation of these platforms as revolutionary spaces that ultimately fell short of empowering creators and audiences.
Despite the setbacks, Kashyap’s resilience and creative legacy remain influential, his past works like “Sacred Games” standing as testaments to his visionary storytelling in Indian cinema. His candid revelations shed light on the challenges faced by creators in an evolving media landscape.
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