3 min readMumbaiFeb 17, 2026 09:30 PM IST
Anurag Kashyap has long hinted at plans to shift his focus to Malayalam cinema, as the contemporary landscape of the Hindi film industry no longer feels desirable for him. He seeks to explore narratives that not only challenge the status quo but also carve out innovative new territories. Thanks to the creative revolution unfolding in Kerala, with some of the best films of recent years emerging from the region, Kashyap now finds himself drawn there. In a recent interview, he once again hinted at this transition.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, the filmmaker said, “I have written a film, I want to make it. It can be Hindi, it can be Malayalam. I have asked the actor, the choice is yours. You want to do it in Hindi, you want to do it in Malayalam, you want to do bilingual. You decide.” Talking more about the project, he added, “It’s a 40-page script. I’m saying the film I have written for Malayalam won’t be possible in Hindi, neither the economics of it, nor the content of it. It can only be made there.”
While Anurag Kashyap contemplates this potential shift, his highly anticipated film Kennedy is finally releasing in India this Friday on ZEE5. Another project, Bandar, had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with the principal cast and crew, including Bobby Deol, who is collaborating with Kashyap for the first time, in attendance. Early reviews have described Bandar as a provocative film, with some critics interpreting its narrative as controversial, particularly in the context of the #MeToo movement. Some even suggested that the movie could be read as “anti-MeToo,” prompting backlash online, with several viewers questioning its message and labelling it “pro-men.”
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However, in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Kashyap addressed the speculation directly and clarified the film’s intent. “It has nothing to do with MeToo. See, when a film is about a false rape accusation case, those conversations happen. But MeToo is about power, somebody using a position of power to do something. This film has nothing to do with that kind of a powerplay, or that kind of sexual angle, so it has nothing to do with MeToo.”
