Anurag Kashyap Says Bollywood Bends Easily To Power, Explains Why South Doesn’t

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has once again criticised the way Bollywood responds to powerful interests, arguing that the Hindi film industry can be more willing to compromise because of its dependence on the Hindi-speaking market. He contrasted this with South Indian film industries, which he believes have stronger regional identities and are less dependent on Bollywood.

Anurag Kashyap on Bollywood’s compromises

Speaking to Janice Sequeira, Kashyap explained that people do not necessarily compromise willingly. According to him, the problem begins when someone accepts a demand once and receives benefits in return. That first compromise, he suggested, makes it increasingly difficult to refuse similar demands later.

Kashyap said that industries with strong regional cultures are harder to divide along the same lines. He argued that those seeking a foothold among Hindi-speaking audiences are more likely to bend to external pressure. The filmmaker said the South Cinema industry does not face the same pressure because it does not depend on Hindi audiences in the same way.

He also said people within Bollywood are aware of the compromises they have made. Their awareness, he suggested, does not necessarily mean they can reverse those decisions. Kashyap said some people even feel embarrassed or ashamed about what they have done but often wait until they are specifically asked to take action.

Anurag Kashyap’s earlier criticism of Bollywood

Kashyap has previously described Bollywood as “toxic”, particularly because of its fixation on achieving ₹500 crore or ₹800 crore blockbusters. He has also criticised what he sees as the lack of a healthy creative environment in the Hindi film industry.

The filmmaker had earlier revealed plans to leave Mumbai and settle in Bengaluru, citing his frustrations with the industry.

Kashyap’s latest directorial venture, Bandar, stars Bobby Deol alongside Sanya Malhotra, Sapna Pabbi, Saba Azad, Indrajith Sukumaran, Raj B. Shetty and Jitendra Joshi. Produced by Nikhil Dwivedi under Saffron Magicworks, the film received positive reviews, with several critics calling it one of Kashyap’s strongest works in years. However, it earned only ₹4.97 crore at the box office.