Writer, lyricist, and actor Piyush Mishra has openly criticised filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in a new interview, accusing him of consistently spoiling the second halves of some of his most acclaimed films, including Dev D, Gulaal, and Gangs of Wasseypur.
Piyush Mishra talks about Anurag Kashyap as a filmmaker
In a conversation on the Humans of Cinema YouTube channel, where he appeared alongside Manoj Bajpayee, Ranjan Singh, Jugnuma director Raam Reddy and Anurag, Piyush did not hold back in expressing his disappointment with the filmmaker’s storytelling arc.
When asked if Piyush revisits films like Gulaal and Gangs of Wasseypur, Piyush said, “Gulaal toh… maaf karna Anurag. Par uska second half pata nahi kya tha. Iski dikkat yeh hai ki woh apni adhi film achhi bana leta hai, phir lagta hai ki bohot badiya film ban rahi hai, aur phir usse bigaad kar dekhta hai. Second half bigaad deta hai. Gulaal achhi film ban rahi thi, par isne uska bohot bigaad kiya (Gulaal… forgive me Anurag, but I don’t know what happened to its second half. His problem is that he makes a great first half, then he feels he’s making a good film, and deliberately messes it up. He ruined the second half. Gulaal was turning out to be a good film, but he spoiled it badly).”
Piyush also took aim at Dev D, saying, “The first half was a classic, and then he ruined it.” To this, Manoj chimed in humorously, saying Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s cameo in the song Emotional Attyachar saved the film’s latter half.
“I don’t know what his problem is. Gangs of Wasseypur had the same issue; he made the first part, then he lost his mind. I thought Dev D would be a film on alcoholism, and then it became something strange.”
Anurag Kashyap’s latest work
Anurag Kashyap is gearing up for the release of his upcoming directorial, Nishaanchi. The film marks the acting debut of Aaishvary Thackeray, grandson of the late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. Vedika Pinto, Monika Panwar, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, and Kumud Mishra also star in pivotal roles. Nishaanchi is slated to release in theatres nationwide on September 19.
Manoj Bajpayi, on the other hand, is promoting the release of Jugnuma, directed by Raam Reddy. The film, starring Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose, Hiral Sidhu, Awan Pookot and Tillotama Shome, was released on September 12.