When Anurag Kashyap confessed doing drugs out of depression: 'It was a massive thing of shame'

Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has significantly contributed to changing the landscape of Indian cinema by pushing boundaries and challenging traditional storytelling norms

Anurag Kashyap celebrates his birthday on September 10. He is known for his collaborations with talented actors and his willingness to tackle bold and socially relevant themes in his films. He has also been involved in various controversies and has been a vocal advocate for artistic freedom in Indian cinema. His work has significantly contributed to changing the landscape of Indian cinema by pushing boundaries and challenging traditional storytelling norms. But do you know that behind this very bold image of him, Anurag fought a lot of battles within?
 
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap went through a rough patch in his life when a lot of his films weren’t working. During one of his interviews, he said, "There was a phase in my life in early 2000 when my films were banned, and I was introduced to alcohol in 2003 after Black Friday was banned. I went through a personal phase of drugs from 2006 to 2008 before I did Dev D. I did drugs out of depression, and my films not releasing. I was more abusing chemical drugs, it was a massive thing of shame for me."
 
Anurag shared that Dev D was the film that helped him pass through his toughest time. The actor again faced a rough patch when No Smoking flopped. Backed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film was made on a huge budget. When it sank at the box office, the director, Kashyap, fell into depression, not expecting the critics to lash out at it.
 
The film's plot revolves around a chain smoker named K (played by John Abraham), who is addicted to smoking. His life takes a bizarre turn when he decides to join a mysterious rehabilitation centre run by a character named Baba Bengali (played by Paresh Rawal). Instead of helping him quit smoking through conventional methods, the rehabilitation centre uses extreme and surreal techniques to break K's addiction.
 
In another conversation with Samdish Bhatia, the director further talked about the time when he again went on steroids. It was in 2021 that he had a heart attack. He shared, "In May, I had a heart attack, then I got a severe asthma attack. Then I went back on steroids and slipped into drinking. In depression, Vishal ji called me to do 'Modern Love', then Aasman called for 'Kuttey' and Zoya also called. If you will see, in all three projects, I have worked on a wheelchair."

Kashyap is known for his innovative and unconventional approach to filmmaking, which has earned him both critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base.

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