Anurag Kashyap, the maverick filmmaker renowned for his unapologetic cinema and bold opinions, took an unexpected turn this Friday. Defending the embattled director of the Bollywood blockbuster "Animal," Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Kashyap declared him the "most misunderstood filmmaker at the moment." This surprising revelation sent shockwaves through social media, sparking a firestorm of reactions.
One netizen took to X (formerly known as Twitter), saying, "Anurag Kashyap ji, hum aapko apna sagaa baap maante the, aap toh VangaBoy nikle."
Another said, "Anurag Kashyap can say that and get away with this excuse/nonsense, because his movies have been unconventionally popular, even a Scorsese, or a Tarantino, apologies for using these names, used for contrast, wouldn't have survived a Johnny Gaddaar, he is incredibly fortunate."
Vanga, whose previous film "Kabir Singh" achieved box office success but faced accusations of misogyny, has been receiving criticism for the "Animal" trailer, which some argue perpetuates toxic masculinity and violence. However, on Instagram, Kashyap shared photos with Vanga from their recent meeting, capturing a moment of camaraderie between the two filmmakers. He wrote, "Had a great evening with @sandeepreddy.vanga. The most misunderstood, judged, and reviled filmmaker at the moment. To me, he is the most honest, vulnerable, and a lovely human being. And I really don’t give a f*** what anyone thinks of him or his film.”
Aaliyah Kashyap, Anurag Kashyap's daughter, posted a review of "Animal" online, expressing, "Honestly, I feel like I was gaslit by the hype and trailer. It's one of the worst films I have seen in recent times. The acting was certainly great, but even that couldn't save this film. Choppy editing and narrative, cringy and wannabe dialogues, overly violent action sequences – it's a waste of time, energy, and money."