In light of director Abhinav Kashyap's controversial remarks about prominent Bollywood figures, particularly Salman Khan, the lead actor of his film Dabangg, and his family, his brother Anurag Kashyap described him as a business-oriented individual with a different perspective on cinema. Although Anurag chose not to address Abhinav's contentious statements — where Abhinav alleged mistreatment by Salman and his family during the filming of Dabangg and claimed he was dismissed from the sequel via a text message — he discussed his brother's impact on his career.
During an episode of Gamechangers, when questioned about whether he assisted Abhinav during his exclusion from the film industry, he responded, 'He is quite independent in his thinking. He views cinema from a unique perspective and has a distinct mindset. He has always been business-oriented and possesses a strong understanding of it.'
Anurag described Abhinav as having a business-oriented mindset. 'From the start, he viewed films as a commercial venture, while I was more of a film enthusiast. He came here to study management. Whenever I was at home and had tasks to do, I often felt reluctant. He would say, ‘I’ll handle it.’ He would complete the tasks in my name without me even noticing,' he concluded.
Abhinav Kashyap, the brother of Anurag Kashyap, gained significant recognition in his career with Salman Khan's film Dabangg. He has openly claimed that his career in the film industry was negatively impacted due to bullying, harassment, and sabotage by Salman Khan and his family. Additionally, he directed Ranbir Kapoor's Besharam and co-wrote the successful 2007 film.
Previously, Abhinav mentioned in an interview with Bollywood Thikana about their relationship, revealing that Anurag has also been physically aggressive towards him. 'Many people are unaware, but we grew up together. We attended the same boarding school in Gwalior, the same college at Delhi University, and moved to Mumbai around the same period. We worked in the same industry, which made us very close.'
He mentioned that they are not communicating. 'We understand each other more than our parents do. We frequently argue. He's older, and when he thinks I've erred, he's even resorted to hitting me. He's hit me numerous times, but I can't retaliate because he's my older brother. The last time we talked, I believed he was at fault, so I ceased speaking to him. That's all.'
Abhinav discussed the challenges in his career, particularly after the failure of the 2016 film Bombay Velvet, which starred Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Karan Johar. He maintains that the movie's substantial budget of Rs 90 crore contributed to its poor performance at the box office. In a recent interview, he shared that his production partners reduced his budget from Rs 90 crore to Rs 3.5 crore, a change he accepted willingly to avoid being trapped in a cycle. He also talked about the difficulties faced with his brother, filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap.
In a discussion with Komal Nahta on Game Changers, Abhinav revealed that his investors proposed a reduced amount following the setback. 'Post-Bombay Velvet in 2016, I inquired with my producing partner or studio about how much they would invest if I didn't disclose the script and cast. They responded with Rs 3.5 crore. So, from Rs 90 crore, I immediately dropped to Rs 3.5 crore because I wanted to avoid complications.'
The director also mentioned, "I've observed numerous filmmaker friends, including my brother. When you create a major film and follow it with another that fails, you find yourself trapped. You end up spending your entire life trying to prove the point of 'Big film, big film, big film'!"
