Actor Pankaj Jha’s recent indirect dig at filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has become the talk of the town. In an interview, Jha allegedly referred to Kashyap as ‘timid’ and ‘spineless’ and how the actor was replaced in his directorial venture, Gangs of Wasseypur.
However, the Panchayat actor later denied his claims. Amidst this, the director has shared his side of the story.
Anurag Kashyap clears the air
In a new interview with India Today, Anurag Kashyap reacted to Pankaj Jha’s alleged claims while explaining his decision to replace the actor in Gangs of Wasseypur. Kashyap recalled that when he was shooting for his 2010 film, The Girl in Yellow Boots, Jha had moved to Osho in Pune.
Anurag Kashyap cleared the air, saying that Pankaj Jha was unavailable before the filming of Gangs of Wasseypur. “We were on a tight budget and could not wait for him. We made the film in a very different condition and budget,” Kashyap said.
The 51-year-old filmmaker said that the Gulaal actor might be talking about the incident after two decades now, as Pankaj Tripathi has become a successful actor. “Now he may be thinking after 20 years, he could have become Pankaj Tripathi,” the Gangs of Wasseypur director said.
Anurag Kashyap calls Pankaj Jha ‘inaccessible’
Anurag Kashyap remembered his previous collaborations with Pankaj Jha in movies like Gulaal and Black Friday and expressed his wish to work with him in the future.
Kashyap said, “He has actually been my go-to actor…” while adding, “I would love to work with him again, but the fact is, he is not accessible at all.”
Pankaj Jha denying his claims
Pankaj Jha recently refuted his claims against Anurag Kashyap and shared that his words were misrepresented by the media. “All these news of me calling him spineless are all things twisted and made up,” Jha had said.
Jha also added that Kashyap is like a ‘brother’ to him.
Anurag Kashyap’s work front
Anurag Kashyap is now gearing up for the release of his upcoming web series, Bad Cop. Kashyap has been cast as a villain in it. The series will premiere on Disney+Hotstar starting from June 21.
