Anurag Kashyap is known for candidly expressing his opinions on cinema and societal issues. Recently, he criticized the appropriation of Payal Kapadia’s Cannes 2024 victory as a collective achievement for India. In an interview with PTI, Anurag highlighted that India has not yet provided the promised rebate to All We Imagine as Light.
He revealed that the Indian government has not given the rebate to Payal Kapadia’s film, emphasizing the lack of support for independent filmmakers. Anurag expressed frustration over the narrative of “India@Cannes,” stating, “I get very upset when it’s said ‘India@Cannes’.
This is a boost for many independent filmmakers, but their victory is their own. India didn’t have any moment at Cannes; none of those films are Indian. We need to address it appropriately. India has stopped supporting the kind of cinema that was at Cannes.”
He further explained, “Payal Kapadia’s film was made possible by French funding. India did not even give the promised rebate for that film. Sandhya Suri’s film was funded by the UK Film Lottery Fund, Karan Kandhari’s film by the UK, and Konstantin Bojanov’s film was almost self-financed. There was no support from India. India just likes to take credit for many things.
“They do not even support the release of these films in Indian cinemas. Payal Kapadia’s last film also won at Cannes. Has it been released in India? We have two Oscar-nominated documentaries. Did they release in India? The government does not have a support system for works that bring cultural respect to India. Let’s stop this useless celebration,” he said.
Anurag Kashyap made his directorial debut with Paanch, which never got released. His second film, Black Friday, faced delays due to its controversial depiction of the 1993 Mumbai blasts. He gained fame with films like Dev D, Gulaal, Gangs of Wasseypur – 1 and 2, Mukkabaaz, Sacred Games, and Manmarziyaan.
Anurag will next be seen as the antagonist in the Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Maharaja. His upcoming neo-noir thriller Kennedy premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2023.
