After his last mega-movie Bombay Velvet flopped, Anurag Kashyap bounces back with a new thriller, Raman Raghav 2.0.
Why is your new directorial venture called Raman Raghav 2.0?
We had made a classic movie last year (laughs) which no one can forget, especially my producers. After that, I decided to make Raman Raghav but I could not make a period film so we thought of making Raman Raghav 2.0, which is a contemporary version.
How do you feel when someone blames the director when a film fails?
I think it is 100 percent the director’s fault if the film fails. It’s nobody else’s fault because the director is the only person who has the power to say no. And there were a lot of things in the film for which I should have said ‘no’. I should have taken a stand but I did not do so. So it was entirely my fault. But if the film does well, then it is everybody’s contribution. And I feel this honestly; I am not being humble.
What is your approach in Raman Raghav 2.0? Are you trying to glorify criminals?
No, I am not doing that. This film does not glorify anybody. If you watch this film, you will understand. The movie is on everything that is happening in our society but it is fictionalised. There are a lot of things that happen around us that we choose to ignore and it has been threaded into a story. It is a genre film; and genre films -- be it horror, thriller, chase dramas -- usually have deep politics inside it of the society which cannot be explained or expressed in any other way.
You make so many dark films ... have you ever found any change within yourself because of the movies you make?
I have a theory that people who make many comedy movies are very dark from inside. Meet them sometime and see for yourself. While, people who take out all their darkness on the screen are actually very light from within.
When you make a film based on a real life character, is it easy or difficult?
It always gets difficult. But this is not based on a real-life character. This is actually inspired from it, because this character is there now. It is difficult because you are taking a new path and you have a sense of responsibility. If you are telling a story like this then you have to say it in such a way that you have to show the full story and make it all look relevant so that we get to understand the movie.
Reports suggest that the film has got six cuts at the Censors. Are you satisfied with it?
In a way, the Censor Board has been the kindest in this film because they actually like it. But in this film there are many things that I want them to keep intact. I will not be satisfied with a single cut. I will do whatever it takes to avoid any cut.