Anurag Kashyap critiques Bollywood’s formula films, calls for institutional support for independent cinema

“Everything is becoming about what works and what doesn’t work,” filmmaker Anurag Kashyap said, reflecting on the changing nature of Indian cinema and the growing influence of commercial considerations on filmmaking. He was speaking on day 1 of the two-day Chaaya Literature Festival at Dr.

B.R. Ambedkar Open University on Saturday. Kashyap discussed the challenges facing independent cinema, the influence of literature on his work and his experiences as a writer and filmmaker. Comparing contemporary Bollywood to a fast-food franchise, he said, “Contemporary Bollywood is like a franchise of McDonald’s.” He argued that algorithms and market calculations were increasingly determining the kind of films being made, leaving less room for experimentation and unconventional storytelling.

Kashyap said the focus of filmmaking had shifted towards creating events around releases rather than allowing stories and characters to take precedence. “Events are bigger than films now,” he said, pointing to the emphasis on star appearances and spectacle.

He observed that films were increasingly built around star entries rather than allowing characters to inhabit the stories. He was also critical of the industry’s obsession with box-office milestones, saying the pursuit of collection targets had created false benchmarks for success.

The practice of large productions monopolising screens, he said, left smaller films struggling to secure theatrical space. Questioning the term ‘pan-India cinema’, Kashyap described it as a business-driven concept, pointing out that films had been dubbed and circulated across language markets long before the phrase became popular.

Kashyap said commercial pressures often forced filmmakers to compromise on their creative choices. “Filmmaking is the only art form that costs money,” he said, explaining that filmmakers who depend on commercial investors have to consider the returns expected from their projects.

He called for institutional funding similar to cultural funds in other countries, which allow filmmakers to pursue ideas without carrying the entire burden of commercial recovery. “When there is institutional support, you will see the purest art, because the burden of money is not on the artist,” he said.

Recalling his film That Girl in Yellow Boots, Kashyap said the support he received from the National Film Development Corporation allowed him to make the film without commercial pressures. He also spoke about the earlier role of institutions such as the NFDC in supporting filmmakers and projects that did not necessarily fit mainstream commercial expectations.

He expressed concern about restrictions on public expression, saying censorship affected not just films but also literature and the exchange of ideas. He said artists and writers needed to document the times they were living in.

Kashyap singled out Malayalam cinema for its collaborative culture, citing actors such as Fahadh Faasil, who move between different kinds of films and support productions by other filmmakers and actors. Such collaboration, he said, helps smaller projects find backing and gives more filmmakers opportunities to work.

He also acknowledged the recent output of Tamil cinema. He continues to write by hand and can produce between 40 and 60 pages a day. “My writing is very instinctive,” he said, explaining that he often sits down and writes without stopping.

He recalled noting down a new story idea shortly before arriving at the festival because he did not want to forget it. Literature, he said, had remained an important influence on his creative work. Growing up, he read the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which were readily available at home.

He also recalled watching Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves more than three decades ago. A scene in which a father struggles to recover his bicycle while his son watches a childhood memory of seeing his own father, an engineer, struggle during a strike during the emergency.

Kashyap said he had not directed a film in two years and was currently taking up acting assignments while preparing for his next projects. He said acting provided financial stability, while filmmaking remained his passion.