A while back, while watching the 100th re run of Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpayee’s 1999 film Kaun, I noticed something which had managed to escape my eyes for more than a decade. I paused and repeatedly read.
Yes, it was Anurag Kashyap’s name hiding in the credits.
And suddenly it started making sense to me. I could finally validate WHY I love this movie so much. While the hair on my back was still upright, I wondered if this cosmic connection had transpired even before this moment.
My love for Kashyap’s Cinema and vision dates back to when I was barely nine and oblivious of his existence. Or maybe it’s a U.P or D.U connection, who knows?
But for multiple reasons, the movie remains one of my favorite Bollywood tales. Maybe it’s the fact that I too, like the central character of Kaun, have grown up living alone, conversing with my mom over the phone or having strangers knock on my door, and me going “Kaun” before even peeping. However, that’s not it. The reason remains simple; it’s his style of story-telling.
Anurag’s truthful portrayal and incorporation of real incidents in his vision over the years have managed to depict a true and unsettling India that was hiding under a colonial hangover. The same combination has fostered a cinematic movement which does not shy away from politics.
Whether, it’s the Hit and Run of Dev D, the Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders in Paanch, the 1993 bombings in Black Friday, or Raman Raghav, these honest portrayals have managed to leave an impact on the audience and not just the box office.
Anurag has successfully brought art and contemporary cinema to the forefront, packaging it commercially along with the most authentic music to justify his scripts.
Apart from writing, directing and acting, Anurag has also successfully lent his expertise into producing some of the finest movies of recent times including Udaan, Queen, Lootera, Masaan. Anurag has constantly proved to be the antithesis of commercial cinema.
Although, this is the toughest list, here are the top Kashyap movies handpicked for you to watch right away in case you haven’t.
Written/ Directed | Produced (Anurag Kashyap Films/ Phantom) |
1. Gangs of Wasseypur 1 & 2 2. Satya (1996) 3. Dev-D (2009) 4. The girl in yellow boots (2011) 5. Ugly (2014) 6. Raman Raghav (2016) 7. Kaun (1999) | 1. Lootera (2013) 2. Shaitan (2011) 3. Masaan (2015) 4. India in a day (2016) 5. Udta Punjab (2016) |
You have altered my love for Bollywood, the way Vittorio De Sica altered your life.