“Bollywood Has Become Toxic” – Anurag Kashyap Walks Away

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has had enough. Bollywood’s obsession with massive box office numbers has sucked the joy out of filmmaking, and Anurag Kashyap refuses to play along.

“I want to stay away from film people,” he told The Hindu. “The industry has become too toxic. Everyone is chasing unrealistic targets, trying to make the next Rs 500 or Rs 800 crore film. The creative atmosphere is gone.”

For someone who built his career on bold, independent storytelling (Gangs of Wasseypur, Black Friday), this shift in Bollywood’s priorities has been frustrating. Kashyap isn’t interested in making movies just to hit financial targets. He wants creative freedom, and he’s heading south to find it.

Bollywood’s Box Office Obsession: A Filmmaker’s Nightmare

It’s no secret, Bollywood is all about big numbers now. Studios don’t just want a hit; they want record-breaking collections.

Kashyap has seen this firsthand. “I envy South filmmakers,” he told The Hollywood Reporter India. “They still get to experiment. “Here, selling the film takes priority even before it starts, sucking out the joy of filmmaking.”

This isn’t just talk. Kashyap has reportedly moved to Bengaluru and is turning his focus to South Indian cinema.

What’s Next for Anurag Kashyap?

His upcoming project, Dacoit, is a bilingual Hindi-Telugu film starring Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur. He’s also promoting the Malayalam thriller Footage, directed by Saiju Sreedharan. The film, featuring Manju Warrier, Vishak Nair, and Gayathri Ashok, premiered last year, and its Hindi version releases on March 7, 2025.

While Kashyap has left Bollywood, his passion for storytelling isn’t going anywhere. Expect more raw, authentic cinema, just not from Mumbai.

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