Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap spoke strongly against the disruption caused by streaming platforms in India. Kashyap said the executives working at these platforms are answerable to foreign bosses, and most of them have zero experience in filmmaking. He said the nature of the business is such that every few years, there is an implosion. Kashyap said he's now waiting for the industry to implode so everybody can start from scratch.
Recently, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kashyap admitted that 'there was a lot of hope' among the film community when streaming platforms such as Netflix and Prime Video entered the Indian market. Kashyap said, "But who are the people running the OTTs? They're all from TV. They have no cinema experience. They don't understand cinema. What is their only motive? Subscribers. And to increase subscriber base, they have to dumb it down. The top streamers are multinationals. They're not Indian-origin companies. They're answerable, so they're scared to take risks. In every way, it's a leash for creativity.
Kashyap said that streamers nowadays will only touch films that have been released theatrically. "These people have jobs with very high salaries and a lifestyle, which they don't want to lose. There are very few people that I can even have a creative conversation with. That's why I would rather not do anything than sit down and have a conversation with someone who is trying to save their job or impose their position... OTTs came in and disrupted the system. First they gave high prices, and then they lowered the prices. Now, nobody is willing to come down. Which is good, because one day, everybody will fall. And I'm waiting for everybody to fall, because then it'll be a great time to make films again. After we hit rock-bottom, we will make films again. Golden times are coming." Hopefully, Kashyap is right.
Anurag Kashyap co-directed Netflix's first Indian original series, Sacred Games. He also released films such as Choked on streaming, and directed shorts that were released as parts of the Lust Stories and Ghost Stories anthologies. He was putting together a series adaptation of Maximum City, which was cancelled at the last minute by Netflix. He said in several interviews that the blow affected him deeply, pushing him towards alcohol and depression.
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In the THR interview, Kashyap also opened up about 'insecure' actors who are hungry for stardom, and described the Hindi film industry as 'disgusting' and film producers as 'dumb,' He said that he is planning to move out of Mumbai altogether, and will focus on making movies in South India.
See Also: Anurag Kashyap To Exit Mumbai And Go South? Filmmaker Says He's 'Disgusted' With Bollywood: 'So Disappointed...'