The 9th Malaysian International Film Festival (MIFFest) was held last week from July 18 to 25. Among the jury members was the acclaimed Indian actor-director Anurag Kashyap, along with other cinema icons such as Sharifah Amani, Man Lim-Chung, Ananda Everingham and Midi Z.
Moderated by artist Lena Srinivasan, ‘Anurag Kashyap: Unfiltered Realism’ was held on July 22, where the renowned filmmaker shared his creative journey, exploring how cinematic language, realism, and deeply human stories shape his distinctive filmmaking voice.
During the post-screening Q&A of his ‘Black Friday’ on July 19 at GSC MyTown, the artist offered a candid reflection on the film and the state of filmmaking in current times.
Kashyap described the film as both a historical reconstruction and a personal time capsule, curated by real locations and the collective memory of those who made it. He also argued that scarcity often forces filmmakers to be more inventive and disciplined on account of working under severe budget and time constraints.
As he recounted his career, he noted that experience has come at the cost of the innocence and fearlessness he had when making the film. When asked if ‘Black Friday’ could be made today, he said no, citing censorship and social media pressure to adopt clear ideological positions.
“Whether I’m directing, producing or acting, you have to stay real. Only then can you fully play out reality and truly engage your audience.” he said reflecting on more than two decades of filmmaking.
Speaking on character, he said his upbringing taught him empathy over division. The film’s protagonist, he revealed, was ultimately the police investigation itself, rather than any single individual.
Across Asia, Kashyap believes filmmakers share many of the same challenges despite working in different industries. “South Korea, Japan, China and India all have mature film industries,” he says. “But we’re all facing the same problem – audiences have shorter attention spans, and streaming platforms have created endless choices.” He concluded by noting that digital media has reduced attention spans, making silence and slower pacing one of the greatest challenges for contemporary filmmakers.
Anurag Kashyap is a renowned Indian film director, writer, actor and producer. He is known for gritty, realistic crime dramas like Gangs of Wasseypur, Black Friday, Dev. D and Manmarziyaan, among others. He changed modern Hindi cinema by supporting independent art films. In recent years, he has also dabbled in acting, featuring in films like Imaikka Nodigal (2018), AK vs. AK (2020) and the 2024 blockbuster hit Maharaja.
Source: Variety
