Anurag Kashyap, who is one of the most renowned filmmakers known for his candidness, recently addressed the longstanding rift between him and actor Abhay Deol, which started after their collaboration on the film 'Dev D' in 2009. While Abhay has been vocal about their differences, Anurag had chosen to remain silent until now. In a recent interview, Anurag Kashyap expressed that if he were to reveal his side of the truth publicly, Abhay Deol would find it difficult to face the consequences.
Anurag clarified his stance on maintaining relationships, particularly with Abhay Deol, stating that they haven't met since the shooting of 'Dev D', and Abhay didn't participate in the film's promotions. He acknowledged Abhay's characterization of him as toxic but emphasized that there are aspects of their rift that would portray Abhay in a negative light if discussed openly.
In an interview Anurag was questioned about him being bad at maintaining relationships. There have been murmurs about his rift with actor Pankaj Jha as well. Talking about it, Anurag said, “I am not bad at maintaining relationships. Abhay, I have not met him since the shooting of Dev D. He didn’t even come for promotions, and he has never spoken to me since. If he wants to call me toxic, fine, it’s his side of story".
Dev D director futher added, “The truth can’t be spoken, because if I will speak the truth, he won’t be able to show his face. There is too much truth in there that Abhay will also not have the courage to talk about. And I will not talk about it because it will make him look like s**t.”
Dubbing it as a misunderstanding, Anurag shared that it has been long, and he remembered that Pankaj “had joined the Osho ashram and he was not into acting” at that time. According to him, Pankaj disappeared, giving his reasons to get Pankaj Tripathi, the director shared, “I was running on a very tight budget, I had to get someone and Pankaj Tripathi was cast at the last minute”.
Anurag said that Pankaj Jha never tried to contact him, and he was not aware that he was upset about getting replaced. Often, there are reports where his castmates have called him “problematic” and “toxic”. And Anurag is not fretting about it, as he knows that he “can’t always make people happy”. Instead, he avoids working with people who think he is problematic. Pankaj Jha in an interview with Digital Commentary had expressed his disappointment in being replaced in Gangs Of Wasseypur without being informed. In a generic statement, he called people in the industry “spineless”. Meanwhile, Abhay in several interviews has called Anurag extremely “toxic”.
Disagreement between Anurag and Abhay Deol, rooted in their collaboration on 'Dev D', a modern adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel 'Devdas', has persisted over the years. Despite the film's critical acclaim, it marked the end of their professional relationship, with both Anurag Kashyap and Abhay Deol choosing not to collaborate on future projects together.